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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25642840">You and Me Are Madness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatmalu/pseuds/Thatmalu'>Thatmalu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Mob, Anal Sex, Bisexual Richie Tozier, Bottom Eddie Kaspbrak, Bottom Richie Tozier, Canon-Typical Violence, Comedian Richie Tozier, Drug Use, Dubious Consent, F/M, Gay Disaster Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Gun Violence, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Torture, Internalized Homophobia, Italian Mafia, M/M, Mafia AU, Organized Crime, Partners in Crime, Prostitution, Psychological Torture, Recreational Drug Use, Richie Tozier is a Little Shit, Richie Tozier is a Mess, Rough Kissing, Rough Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Slurs, Threats of Violence, Top Eddie Kaspbrak, Top Richie Tozier, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:49:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25642840</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatmalu/pseuds/Thatmalu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This was not how today was supposed to go. A week had gone by since his mother’s funeral, and Eddie was hoping for a day of peace and drinking after working nonstop since. Now he had to be stuck babysitting some low life that was so deep in shit that he was given no choice but to work for the Family or take a dive in the Hudson with cinderblocks tied to his feet. At least he was smart enough to take the former, but Eddie did not feel like dealing with him after all he had heard about ‘The Comedian.’</p><p>______________________</p><p>A Mafia AU where Eddie is next in line and has to prove himself by teaching a little shit a lesson.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Eddie Kaspbrak, Eddie Kaspbrak &amp; Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak &amp; Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>84</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Intro: The Comedian</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Well, here I go, starting a new project while I have 4 other WIP's sitting in my docs. Since the rest of those are one-shots, I figured I'd go ahead and get started on a short intro to this new fic I have now been inspired to write thanks to some lovely people on discord!</p><p>Our beginning is slow, but keep in mind for tags as things will get dark and angsty and - dare I say, sexy?<br/>TW in tags, more to come as I see fit, rating possibly may raise to explicit if I (or readers) see fit, call me out if more tags or higher rating is needed!</p><p>Please give it up for my favorite boys starring in another whumpy drama with violence and self-loathing. Get prepared for serious fucked-up issues Reddie and another journey of self-discovery and sweet sweet wuve. Enjoy!</p><p> </p><p>Fic title inspired by lyrics from In My Mind by M86 &amp; Susie Q.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”</p><p>This was not how today was supposed to go. A week had gone by since his mother’s funeral, and Eddie was hoping for a day of peace and drinking after working nonstop since. Now he had to be stuck <em>babysitting</em> some low life that was so deep in shit that he was given no choice but to work for the Family or take a dive in the Hudson with cinderblocks tied to his feet. At least he was smart enough to take the former, but Eddie did not feel like dealing with him after all he had heard about ‘The Comedian.’</p><p>“Don’t call him that,” Big Frank scoffed behind his desk. “I’ve heard his material and it ain’t worth a damn. If he were funny, he’d have paid us off by now. Listen, Eddie – ”</p><p>Only Big Frank and a select few were allowed to call him Eddie, let’s get that straight right now. There had been Big Frank, his son Little Frank, and then Frankie. After Little Frank was killed, leaving five year old Frankie a fatherless child, he didn’t quite like people calling him by his father’s name anymore.</p><p>“I don’t want it,” he cried to Big Frank, a tiny speck of a child on his grandfather’s lap.</p><p>“It’s <em>our</em> name, Frankie. It’s the name all these men are going to cower over when you grow up and become their boss.”</p><p>“You’re Boss,” Frankie said simply.</p><p>“For now, yes. But now that your pop is gone, it’s up to you now to take over when I’m gone. I tell ya what, kid: you pick yourself a name, a special name and we can call you that in secret, capisce? Only for me and your ma and very special people. How does that sound?”</p><p>The boy sniffled. “What kind of name?”</p><p>“What name do you like?”</p><p>He thought about it for a moment. “I like my middle name. Ma picked it out.”</p><p>“You like Edward? It might be a little hoity toity for my taste. Why don’t we call you Eddie? That’s a good name.”</p><p>And Frankie – no, <em>Eddie</em> – smiled. Yes. Perfect.</p><p>“You know I love you,” Big Frank was saying now, twenty years later. “But I need you to show me – show our men – that you can take a scrap like this and turn him around into a vital piece in our operation. I know you can do it.”</p><p>“Do they know?” Eddie asked, keeping the words unspoken.</p><p>“No. Only Butch and the three of us know. That will be our little secret for now. The center I get chemo has a lot of other offices; I just tell the drivers I’m in a meeting. Those usually make me sick anyway.” He took his glasses off, squeezing the bridge of his nose.</p><p>“Can I just ask… are you absolutely sure you still want me to…?”</p><p>“Eddie, don’t be ridiculous,” Frank said, waving his hand. “You’re going to do right by our family. You’ve always been brilliant, tough, transparent – ”</p><p>A small noise came from behind him, and Eddie turned his head quickly to scowl at Henry, smirking and picking his cuticles in the corner. Frank paid no mind to it, continuing to offer Eddie praise, thinking maybe Henry just had a cough because Henry and his Paddy cop father knew better than to ever speak out against the Family. Part of the Bowers’ jobs was to keep their goddamn mouths shut, and Eddie glared a threat over at Henry to stifle him until they left.</p><p>“Don’t think Big Frank would like these little late night visits you do, Frankie,” Henry was saying in the car later on. “How do you think the rest of the Family would take it? If he dies and a secret like that got out,” he clicked his tongue. “That would be some shitstorm.”</p><p>“If you keep your goddamn fucking mouth shut, they’re never going to know,” Eddie said simply, playing with his watch. “You seem to forget what happened to Vic when he pissed me off.”</p><p>Henry had no reply to that, as Eddie knew he wouldn’t. They kept driving north, the city traffic forcing them to take their time getting to their destination. Henry tapped at the wheel impatiently at every stop light.</p><p>“I got one of your favorites for the afternoon, Frankie. I think it’ll help ease your tensions a bit.”</p><p>“How the fuck could you possible know that?”</p><p>“I can tell.”</p><p>The apartment building they walked into was disgusting and Eddie could practically count the diseases on the walls as they rode up the elevator to the 13<sup>th</sup> floor. Germs. Bad luck. This did not scream a good time.</p><p>“What do we know about this guy?” Eddie asked as the elevator vibrated unpleasantly, creaking and groaning.</p><p>“We know we just had Ben watch him through a withdrawal so he could sober up and stay on track. Heh, Ben said at one point he thought he’d be able to sneak down his fire escape.”</p><p>“I’m sure that worked out well for him,” Eddie muttered, thinking about what a brick house Ben was.</p><p>“Most of his debts are from the drugs and he gets completely unhinged when he’s on them. He wasn’t doing so hot with the standup, so Mickey is going to ghostwrite for him.”</p><p>“We’re still letting this clown go on stage?”</p><p>Henry shrugged. “Letting him keep up appearances. It could work in our favor.”</p><p>When the elevator doors opened, Eddie wasn’t sure why he expected anything less horrifying than the grim hallways they encountered. He kept his arms close to his side, careful not to brush against anything, allowing Henry to knock on the door to apartment 1340. Eddie was practically vibrating under his skin wanting to get the fuck out of here and shoved Henry into the apartment the second Ben opened the door.</p><p>“How’s our little jester doing?” Henry shouted entering the living room.</p><p>It wasn’t horrible. Depressing and empty? Yes. But not horrible and vomit-inducing. There was a mattress in between the two-seater couch and the television set, likely where Ben had made the man sleep while Ben stayed on the couch to keep a close eye on him. Now that they were here, Ben stood close by, a towering muscle of a man, giving Henry and Eddie space to talk to their new little soldier.</p><p>“Colossus over here sure has a mean right hook.”</p><p>Eddie turned to the voice coming from the couch, where a tall and lanky man sat, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees. He couldn’t have been any older than Eddie; rough looking and in need of a shave, but young sure enough. His hair was shaggy and disarray, curling at the ends, and his eyes were startling behind black-framed glasses, a large and nasty bruise developing under one of them. Eddie couldn’t figure out why his eyes were so goddamn startling.</p><p>“This is what happens when you try to jump out the window, Rich,” Henry said with mock sympathy. “I promise Frankie and I will do a lot worse if you don’t listen to us.”</p><p>“Wait, Frankie?” Richie exclaimed, sitting up straight with fear in his eyes. “Not – Big Frank isn’t here, is he?”</p><p>“Don’t be a fucking mook. Big Frank don’t have time for this shit. No, you get the pleasure of meeting his grandson, Frankie.”</p><p>“Oooh.” Richie relaxed and grinned – <em>grinned</em> – turning and taking a look at Eddie, surely a stark difference to the rest of the apartment, all clean and tidy. “I get the pleasure of meeting the mob prince himself. What do I call you? Mr. Gr – ?”</p><p>“Just Frankie,” Eddie said. “Or <em>sir</em>, since I heard you lack proper manners.”</p><p>“Yes, <em>sir</em>.”</p><p>Winked. And he was smirking. Fucking <em>smirking</em>. Eddie felt his chest swell and could not stop himself from stepping forward, kicking Richie in the chest and pushing his foot down to press Richie into the couch.</p><p>“Listen to me you little shit,” Eddie growled, pulling out his Beretta and shoving the tip into Richie’s forehead.</p><p>“Fuck – Jesus – shit, I’m sorry – ”</p><p>“Shut the fuck up. You will never apologize to me again because you will not <em>disrespect me </em>again. Should you do anything that needs apologizing for, you will answer with a bullet in the leg; do you understand?”</p><p> “Yes, jesus fuck, I’m sorry sir, I didn’t – ”</p><p>For good measure, Eddie smacked him over the head with the barrel of the gun, causing him to grunt in pain. Eddie leaned forward and pressed it down into Richie’s stomach.</p><p>“Neither of us is going to waste anyone’s time. You are going to listen and do everything I or anyone I choose asks of you. I have eyes everywhere, Tozier. So help me, if you fuck up, I will wait until you are inches from death and wheezing out prayers to every god you’ve ever heard of for me to put you out of your misery. Nod if you understand me.”</p><p>“I – ”</p><p>He hit Richie in the head again, harder. Richie nodded. Silent. Eddie took his boot off his chest and looked down at him.</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>“See how nice it is when you aren’t running your fucking mouth?” Ben chuckled, eating from a small pouch of Doritos.</p><p>“Here’s what happens now,” Eddie continued, stuffing his gun away. “Ben here is going to get you cleaned up and move you to a more appropriate location where you will be staying. You’re going to go about your normal day-to-day business and report everything – <em>everything</em> – to Ben, Henry, or myself. Nod if you understand.”</p><p>“But I – ”</p><p>Eddie groaned as he pulled his Beretta out yet again in a quick motion and whacked him again. “Do you <em>ever </em>shut the fuck up? Christ, I thought they were joking.”</p><p>“Actually, <em>I’m</em> the comedian, so – ” Eddie hit him again. “ – fuck ok – ” And again. “ – shit – ” And again. “<em>Can you stop fucking hitting me</em>?!”</p><p>“Will you shut your goddamn <em>mouth</em>?” Eddie yelled, emphasizing his last word with yet another shove of the butt of his gun into Richie’s head. Finally, he simply groaned in response, but that stupid grin was on his face. Eddie almost wanted to hit Ben for laughing the entire time.</p><p>“We’re going to checking on you bright and early in the morning,” Henry said. “Behave for Benny Boy, and we may be in good moods tomorrow, Tozier.”</p><p>Richie opened his mouth, but one look from Eddie and he shut it again. He composed himself before grinning back up at them. “Yes, sirs.”</p><p>To his surprise, Henry ended up really delivering tonight. He <em>had</em> gotten one of Eddie’s favorites, and Eddie didn’t even realize he had those until then. Something still felt wrong though, and Eddie found himself to be… rougher than usual. Not that he ever minded how anyone felt after except for himself, but he had never seen actual tears before. A few extra hundreds usually kept them quiet and coming.</p><p>Eddie did not miss the look that Henry gave him at the bar after or the strangeness in his voice as he dropped Eddie off at home.</p><p>Like most nights, his wife was already in bed with a book in hand, balanced on her breasts where she was sat up reading. The first time Eddie really laid eyes on her, she had been reading on his mother’s patio, her red hair much longer then. She honestly may have been the most beautiful woman Eddie had ever seen, and definitely one of the fiercest. This didn’t stop her from being caught up in Eddie’s mess, however. Her father owed the Family a huge favor, and Big Frank saw it fit that Beverly marry his beloved grandson and keep the ties close.</p><p>Within a month of meeting, Eddie and Beverly were wed. On the night of their wedding, something strange came over Eddie; a strong, visceral fear. He had come to her that night like he would his mother as a small child. There was an understanding in her voice as she held him, keeping him close as they performed a strange impression of love-making. Beverly would soon come to be one of – it not the only – closest friends Eddie had. She didn’t seem to mind that he broke down crying on their wedding night and never spoke of it to anyone. She seemed to carry that understanding with her throughout the next two years of their marriage, always keeping his secrets close.</p><p>“Hey, sweetheart,” Eddie said as he crawled into bed.</p><p>Beverly hummed back at him as he leaned over and started kissing up her bare shoulder across her freckles. It was late and he was tired, really not meaning anything by it other than to acknowledge her presence, so he startled a bit once he felt her hand creep up between his legs.</p><p>“You’re not even hard,” Bev sighed.</p><p>“I’m just saying hi. Stop being such a slut.”</p><p>He was teasing her, of course, but she raised her eyebrows and put her book down to look at him. “How am I supposed to fulfill my wifely duties and give The Family a baby if you never want to touch me?”</p><p>Eddie shrugged, leaning down again to kiss a small patch of freckles next to the loose strap on her shoulder. “Maybe if you weren’t fucking Ben the security guard in our marital bed, I’d be more inclined to.”</p><p>Without skipping a beat, “Maybe if <em>you</em> stopped bringing men in our bed, you would be.”</p><p>Eddie froze, feeling his insides grow cold. “I don’t bring them in this bed. And you promised you would never bring that up again.”</p><p>“Is that where you were this afternoon? In another man’s bed?”</p><p>“Bev,” he warned.</p><p>Beverly’s fingers were gentle under his chin when she lifted his face to look up at her. “You know how much they’ve been on my case about getting pregnant, Eddie. What do we have to do to make this work? Do you want me to ask Ben to help?”</p><p>Eddie sat up, shoving her hand away from him. “Wha – no, I do not want <em>Ben</em> to help, are you fucking kidding me, Bev? Bev does – <em>Bev, does he know?</em>”</p><p>“Of course not,” she said, helping Eddie relax, because she had never had a reason to lie to him. She only smiled at him sadly, folding her hands in her lap. “Well, something has got to give, Eddie. Just promise me we’ll figure something out.”</p><p>Stopping himself from snapping at her, Eddie resigned, “Fine. I’ll… try. Things have just been stressful.”</p><p>“I know,” Beverly smiled. “How was your day with the Comedian?”</p><p>Eddie groaned, turning himself over to lie on his back. “Please do not call him that. He’s not even fucking funny. He’s a fucking coke-head and an imbecile. He’s going to be such a pain in my ass.”</p><p>The light went off as Bev shifted around before finally resting her head on his chest. “I’m sure you’ll grow into him. You usually do. You always know how to put them in place.”</p><p>“Mmm,” was all Eddie replied. His thoughts began to wander as he stroked up and down Beverly’s back, thinking about that asshole again. No one had ever been able to irritate Eddie this easily before, never from such a short interaction, especially to the point where he was still thinking about him so many hours later. The stupid grin plastered on his face was burned in Eddie’s brain and made it… tingle. His anger somehow managed to both subside and strengthen at once as he kept thinking his stupid name.</p><p>
  <em>Richie. Richie. Richie.</em>
</p><p>“Hmm,” Bev sighed a soft laugh, brushing her hand across Eddie’s boxers. “Whatever you’re thinking about is doing the trick, now.”</p><p>Shit.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you are wondering - No, Eddie's last name is not Kaspbrak in this fic, because it is very Polish, but it will be of relevance. :)<br/>I hope you enjoyed !!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Rat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Richie's going to have to learn how things work around here, including a very important lesson.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't know if I'll be able to bust out chapters this quickly going forward, but I think this is the first good look of how this fic is going to be. It'll only get worst before it gets better.</p><p>Again, heed triggers and tags. Violence and references to some fucked up psychological abuse of a child are mentioned here. Eddie is not in a good place.</p><p>If you're in the path of the hurricane, I hope you're safe and enjoy your weekend! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>I will not kill Richie Tozier. I will not kill Richie Tozier. I will not kill Richie Tozier.</em>
</p><p>“So who was that on the phone before?” Richie asked from across the table. He looked up from his plate before quickly adding, “Sir.”</p><p>“My wife,” Eddie said, not sure why he bothered offering Richie an answer.</p><p>“Your – ? Oh. I see. Does she not… I mean, does she know that you’re…?”</p><p>“Does she know what?” Eddie huffed impatiently, maybe a little defensively. Because surely Richie didn’t know.</p><p>“What you do for a living.”</p><p>“Of course she does.”</p><p>“Does she know who you are?”</p><p>“How the fuck could she not know?”</p><p>“She called you Eddie.”</p><p>“Oh. That – that’s nothing. Also, don’t eavesdrop on my fucking phone calls.”</p><p>“Is it code for something?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“A sex thing?”</p><p>“Jesus Christ.”</p><p>“I mean, I lived with a girlfriend who liked to leave the house and meet me out at bars pretending we were strangers going home with each other to fuck. That’s like, totally a thing. I mean, she also would meet <em>actual </em>strangers and fuck them, too, so…”</p><p>“Oh my god, it’s just my name,” Eddie groaned.</p><p>“Wait, what?”</p><p>“It’s – jesus – it’s my middle name. She calls me by my middle name.”</p><p>“Oh. Why didn’t you just say so?”</p><p>“Because <em>no one</em> calls me that, capisce?”</p><p>“Wait a minute,” Richie said slowly, that large grin spreading on his face as Eddie jabbed at his pasta. “<em>Eddie Spaghetti!</em> Get it? Cause you’re Italian?”</p><p>He was going to kill Richie Tozier.</p><p>“Do not,” Eddie said slowly. “Ever – <em>ever </em>– say that again.”</p><p>“Eddie or Spaghetti? I mean, Eddie, you’re <em>eating</em> spaghetti, you basically did this to yourself – ”</p><p>“<em>Stop calling me that!</em>” Eddie hissed. “I swear to fucking god, Tozier – ”</p><p>“Our little secret?”</p><p>“No! Why the ever loving fuck would I allow you to call me that?”</p><p>“Because you’re trying not to laugh.”</p><p>Eddie was short of pistol whipping that stupid fucking smirk on his face. “I am <em>not</em> laughing. That’s fucking stupid.”</p><p>“I dunno, Spaghetti. I can see the sides of your mouth twitching.”</p><p>Eddie bit the inside of his cheeks, feeling the heat build up outside on his skin, but he stayed silent. It wasn’t fucking funny. He wasn’t even sure why he was entertaining Richie to this degree, but he found himself slipping into a comfort he wasn’t used to. It confused and angered him.</p><p>Once Eddie realized no one could hear him, he spoke again.</p><p>“We need to clean the money we picked up this morning.”</p><p>“Clean it?”</p><p>“It’s blood money, Tozier.”</p><p>“So, like… are we allowed to wash it with bleach, or…?”</p><p>“Christ,” Eddie muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.</p><p>Richie chuckled, making Eddie cover his mouth to hide the way the corners of his lips lifted. It wasn’t fucking funny, dammit. “I’m kidding, Eddie Spaghetti. I know what laundering is. I just have no idea how to do it. Or where.”</p><p>“This is one of the places,” Eddie said after he composed himself, gesturing around him to the restaurant. “And do not call me that shit; I would literally prefer anything else.”</p><p>“You got it, Eds,” Richie winked, taking a sip of his beer.</p><p>For some reason Eddie did not hide his smile this time and simply grabbed his wine glass.</p><p>“I’m going to leave you with Patrick tonight.”</p><p>“Wait, seriously? That dude is creepy as fuck. I don’t want to be left alone with him.”</p><p>“Richie,” Eddie said slowly. “Every single man you will work with has killed somebody. I can guarantee most of them with their bare hands; myself included. You are going to see various degrees of creepiness.”</p><p>Something came over Richie’s face, the usual traces of humor absent as he looked over Eddie. “You like doing what you do?”</p><p>Eddie shrugged. “I like to think of it as means to an end.”</p><p>“Do – will I have to kill anyone?”</p><p>Genuine fear was on Richie’s face then and Eddie could see his hand trembling slightly around his beer bottle. He wondered what kind of man Richie would become out of this, a man who had simply been involved with the wrong people at the wrong time in his life and was now trapped. Men like Henry didn’t care one way or the other, seeing both the opportunity and annoyance of it all. There was Patrick, who seemed to grow more passionate for pain the more he caused it. Then there was Ben, who did what he had to do and washed it away, kissing the cross he kept hidden beneath his undershirt and praying for forgiveness. It was just a job for him, and he seemed to feel like karma would balance out the exact way it should, even if it wasn’t in his favor. Perhaps he felt the same about fucking a married woman, hidden guilt under his skin.</p><p>Eddie wasn’t even sure what kind of man he was anymore. Condensation from his glass dripped down onto his fingers as they slid up and down the stem, watching Richie carefully.</p><p>“When you’re done with Patrick, I’m going to take you on a little errand. You don’t have to do anything, but you’re going to get a taste of how things can get for people that step out of line.”</p><p>“Okay… that’s… yeah, okay. Where are you going to be while I’m here?”</p><p>“Out,” was all Eddie would say.</p><p>Except ‘out’ was definitely not the correct word to use for a man hiding in a special hotel room with Henry Bowers keeping guard in the hallway.</p><p>“Why is it the same one, Henry?” he whispered harshly with the door cracked slightly, his foot keeping it propped open.</p><p>“After what you did to him the other night, no one else seemed too eager to come here.”</p><p>So there he was again, sitting on the edge of one of the queen beds like he was the night before, rubbing his sleeves that Eddie knew were hiding needle tracks on his arms. <em>Too desperate</em>, he thought.</p><p>“N-nice to s-see you again,” the man said.</p><p>“That’s enough small talk. Clothes. Now.”</p><p>With slightly trembling fingers (because of fear or heroin withdrawal, Eddie couldn’t say), he undressed while Eddie took his own belt off. He waited for the man to be completely naked before he would undo his own pants, but first, he twisted the man around the shoved him forward to bend over the bed.</p><p>No talking. No eye contact. No touching him. No mentioning of this ever happening, ever. Those were the rules. They always knew the rules.</p><p>The other man, who Eddie believed was named Bill, was usually quiet as a stone, allowing Eddie to keep his eyes closed and try not to think about what he was really doing until it was over and he could drink himself to sleep. Still experiencing some slight sensitivity from the other day, though, Bill was making small whimpers and groans while Eddie was fucking him, although truthfully not as rough as he had been the other day.</p><p>“F-fuck,” he heard Bill say softly into the sheets. “That – ”</p><p>Eddie grabbed Bill by the hair on the back of his head and shoved his face roughly into the mattress to silence him, offering a hard smack on his ass for good measure. His hips moved faster, trying to work up to his orgasm quickly, physically shaking his head to get the voice out. Keeping his mind empty was the only way he could live with himself, simply focusing on the feeling of sex and not the who or why of it. Bill was still whimpering though and it was building up rage in Eddie’s chest. He leaned forward and pulled Bill’s head up by gripping his neck.</p><p>“Do you know why I keep hiring you?” he whispered harshly into Bill’s ear, still fucking him roughly. “Because you keep your fucking trap shut. Every time I hear you make a noise I like you less and less. Do you want to know what it’s going to feel like when I start disliking you?”</p><p>“N-no – <em>ah</em>!” Bill gasped when Eddie smacked the side of his face hard and shoved it back into the mattress.</p><p>“Did I fucking stutter? Not a goddamn peep.”</p><p>Somehow Bill held it in with all his might, only the occasional muffled noise escaping him. Eddie made a mental note to give him a few extra hundreds for being such a good sport. Just at the brink of orgasm, as Eddie was pounding away with his eyes shut tight, a dreaded image flashed in his mind, something forbidden; a face. <em>His</em> face, fucking haunting him.</p><p>With that unholy burning feeling in his chest, Eddie finally felt himself spill into the condom he pumped into the other man beneath him, gripping his hips tight.</p><p>As he put his pants back on, sweaty and uncomfortable, Eddie heard Bill rolling over onto his side, keeping his eyes averted like a good boy. He was still lying there naked when he spoke again.</p><p>“I’m s-s-sorry.”</p><p>“No talking,” Eddie said again. “I’m leaving.”</p><p>“I’m n-not – I w-won’t be v-very good for long. This – this is t-t-too m-much right now.”</p><p>Eddie groaned as he strapped his belt back on, choosing to stay silent.</p><p>“M-my little brother w-was killed last w-week,” Bill continued in a soft voice, playing with a fray of fabric from the blanket he was resting on.</p><p>Normally, Eddie would ignore that pang of empathy in his chest, that pull towards any affection or understanding. Instead, he felt an obligation to look up and meet Bill’s eye.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely, not knowing why. “I lost my mother two weeks ago.”</p><p>Bill sat up, looking at Eddie carefully. “D-do you want t-to talk about it? S-some clients, they – they j-just want s-s-someone to t-talk to.”</p><p>“Talking is too intimate.”</p><p>“S-sex isn’t?” Bill said coyly, reaching a hand out to Eddie’s.</p><p>The rage came back and Eddie gripped Bill’s hand tight before he could touch him, squeezing and bending Bill’s hand back.</p><p>“Do I have to remind you not to fucking touch me?” he snapped at Bill, who had collapsed off the bed onto the floor, whimpering in pain as Eddie slowly crushed his fingers, definitely feeling at least one of them breaking in his grip.</p><p>“N-no, I’m s-s-sorry!”</p><p>“Do I seem like some fucking faggot to you?”</p><p>“N-no, s-s-sir!”</p><p>“I am not fucking having sex with you, and you should know better than to say something so fucking stupid out loud!”</p><p>A rapping came at the door and Eddie promptly let go of Bill’s hand, letting him cower on the ground.</p><p>“I’ll have Henry leave you some extra cash for the Emergency Room. Don’t fucking shoot it all up you fucking junkie.”</p><p>Bill simply sniffled and nodded on the ground, where Eddie could see him in his peripheral vision. He could not look at him.</p><p>Eddie refused to look at his own reflection as he walked out of the room.</p><p>“Did you make him cry again?” Henry chuckled, taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke out of his rolled down window.</p><p>“I think we should make it good practice not to talk when I’m done, Henry.”</p><p>“Sure thing, boss,” Henry said, winking over at Eddie in the passenger’s seat.</p><p>Richie did not look happy after his time with Patrick, and Eddie couldn’t blame him. A hot ball of wax seemed to be sitting in his chest ever since he left the hotel, and he wondered how miserable Richie would look after their errand tonight. He hoped it would drain whatever connection the two of them had and Richie would learn to back off and stop doing stupid shit like trying to make Eddie laugh.</p><p>“I can very unhappily say I know what a vivisection is now,” Richie mumbled as he got into the back of the car behind Henry.</p><p>“Patrick sharing pleasant childhood memories?” Henry asked cheerfully.</p><p>“Richie,” Eddie said softly, Richie immediately looking over at him. “Tonight is a very important test for you. I need you to pay absolute attention to what we’re doing, because I’m going to be paying very close attention to how you handle it.”</p><p>“Uh, ok,” Richie muttered. “What exactly are we doing?”</p><p>“We’re going to pay someone a visit.”</p><p>“I don’t recognize the address,” Henry said questioningly.</p><p>“You don’t need to. It’s just a warehouse currently for rent that Ben is keeping a special guest in until we get there. Henry, you remember Vic, right?”</p><p>Henry’s grin faded, audibly gulping. “Yes, sir.”</p><p>“Who’s Vic?” Richie asked quietly.</p><p>Eddie felt Henry’s eyes dart quickly between him and the road in front of him. Eddie smiled at Richie through the rearview mirror.</p><p>“A dirty fucking rat.”</p><p>Just as promised, Ben was waiting patiently like the loyal soldier he was, walking circles around the blond piece of shit that was tied up to a wooden chair in the center of the empty warehouse. The tension was thick, both Henry and Richie visibly uncomfortable beside Eddie as he coolly kneeled down in front of Vic.</p><p>Several months ago, Vic had drunkenly made the mistake of letting Eddie know that he knew Eddie’s <em>dirty little secret</em>. Henry had told him, of course, and Eddie knew that. But Eddie also knew that Henry’s father was a very important piece of their operation, a very vital piece of his law enforcement team, the perfect bad cop that they needed; a man on the inside. So Eddie let Henry off with a warning, and that warning was making him watch while Eddie had Vic held down as Eddie shot a blowtorch to his face, scalding and melting the entire right side into gnarly, harsh scars. It was a very clear message; <em>do not fuck with me again</em>.</p><p>“You just couldn’t help yourself, Vicky?” Eddie cooed, lightly patting Vic on the side of his face where his scars still shined. “I had enough mercy in me to give you a second chance to stay on my good side. And for what? Just to tip off the Russian cunts threatening to steal half our earnings on the lower east side? Was that really a smart thing for you to have done, Vic? Letting the Russians in on half our profits in Manhattan?”</p><p>“Frankie, c’mon, man,” Vic sputtered desperately. “I didn’t – I didn’t, I swear to fucking god, man, I haven’t been in contact with the fucking Russians.”</p><p>Eddie trilled his lips as he shook his head. “You sure are quiet for someone who can’t keep a secret. Maybe you need some incentive?”</p><p>He snapped his fingers at Ben, who placed a box onto the floor before taking the back of Vic’s chair and pulling it back to lay it down so Vic was on his back on the ground now, begging as Eddie opened the box with a little box cutter Ben handed to him. Richie and Henry were still silent, only Vic’s pleas echoing against the bare walls.</p><p>“Frankie, man, please don’t fucking do this man, I didn’t fuck you guys over, I swear to fucking god – ”</p><p>Ignoring his cries, Eddie pulled out the small rodent that was scuffling around at the bottom of the box, holding the rat by the tail as he pulled out a metal pot from the same box. Ben already had a strap ready as Eddie put the little creature on Vic’s stomach and covered it with the pot.</p><p>“Richie, did anyone tell you what happened to my father?” Eddie asked as Ben started strapping the pot down and tying it tightly and keep it still over the rat starting to scrape the metal trapping it on Vic.</p><p>“N-n-no,” Richie stuttered behind him.</p><p>“He was killed by another family when I was five,” Eddie continued, watching Vic carefully while Ben gagged him to keep him quiet as Eddie spoke. “My grandfather made it very clear to me that I was going to have to take over for him with my dad out of the picture. So he shared with me a very important lesson. A month after he died, on my sixth birthday, he took me out to this very same warehouse. Can you guess who was waiting there when we got there?”</p><p>“The – the guy who killed your dad?”</p><p>“No. It was Bobby Costa. He worked for us and my father for ten years. What we didn’t know, was that he was also working for another family and got my father involved in a set up. Thanks to Bobby, I didn’t have a dad, and Frank didn’t have a son in his dynasty. So it was up to me to carry on in my father’s footsteps.” Eddie looked up at Richie then, his face pale and visibly shook. “You called me the mafia prince when we met. As prince, I needed to learn early on what it would take to be king. One of the first lessons I got that day was how to take care of a rat.”</p><p>Eddie pulled out the very same blowtorch he had used on Vic’s face months ago, hearing the muffled, desperate cries against the dirty rag stuffed in his mouth. Eddie looked up and clicked his tongue so Ben would take the rag out of his mouth again, letting his screams echo in the emptiness around them.</p><p>“<em>Please, Jesus god, Frankie, I swear to Christ –</em> ”</p><p>“You better start talking, Vic,” Eddie said as he aimed the blowtorch at the pot resting on his torso.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Richie asked, his voice utterly broken and terrified.</p><p>“Eventually the rat isn’t going to have anywhere to go but down,” Eddie explained, smiling at Vic. “Isn’t that right, Vic? Because a rats only place is down in the sewers, isn’t it? That’s where you’re going to be once this little guy starts eating through your bowels and your shit if you don’t start talking.”</p><p>“<em>Frankie, please jesus, I didn’t do nothing I swear to god oh Christ god, I’ll keep my fucking mouth shut I won’t tell anyone again I swear I won’t talk about your fucking whores, Frankie –</em> ”</p><p>The hot ball of wax that had settled in Eddie’s chest finally burst, white hot rage dripping through Eddie unpleasantly. Nothing Vic said mattered anymore and he grabbed the rag again and shoved it down his mouth with his other hand, firmly pressing the flame of his torch into the pot and setting it on its highest heat. They couldn’t hear the scrapes and clawing of the rat, but soon enough Vic’s screams became rough and guttural, desperately twitching and trying to flail in his binds to the chair. Ben pressed a foot down on Vic’s chest to keep him from wiggling around too much and that’s just when the blood started pouring through Vic’s shirt and pooling under the metal pot as the rat started eating through to his stomach to escape the unbearable heat above it. In his peripherals, Eddie saw Richie lean away and vomit onto the floor, but only Vic’s screams could be heard, practically inhuman at this point.</p><p>Eddie only shot him at the end when he wasn’t bleeding out fast enough, long after the blood soaked rat was already crawling away and trailing bits of intestines along the floor behind it. <em>You just had to bring it up again, didn’t ya, Vic?</em></p><p>The car ride was completely silent. Richie had no jokes to crack. Henry simmered in whatever the fuck it was he was feeling. Ben had stayed behind to clean up the mess, likely going to shower with Bev when he was done. Knowing this, Eddie asked Henry to drop him off in the back where the bar was in his building.</p><p>“I’ll come with you,” Richie mumbled. “I… I need a drink.”</p><p>It was a private bar in his building, just a few dozen stories down from Eddie’s very own bedroom, where Ben would likely be railing his wife in a few short minutes. Tom the bartender brought them some bourbon and left them in the half-circle booth alone. Eddie thought they would continue to sit in silence, and had not realized how close Richie was sitting until he heard him speak closer than expected.</p><p>“Frank made you watch him do that to someone… when you were six?” His voice was softer than Eddie had heard it, dripping with concern and… affection. He scooted closer, until Eddie could feel the heat from him radiating against his own through the fabric of their clothes. When he spoke again, he asked softly the question he had asked Eddie earlier that evening. “You like doing what you do, Eds?”</p><p>A few moments of silence passed between them as Eddie quietly sipped his drink. He set the drink down, wanting to tell Richie to fuck off and learn to get used to the things he was going to see. But he thought about the look on Bill’s face crying on the floor, and Vic’s screams that still echoed in his mind, and slowly, almost unintentionally, rested his hand on Richie’s on the table.</p><p>“No.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Just a Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eddie is confronted in private about his feelings and tries to deal with them.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wasn't sure if I was going to put a description of Eddie so that anyone could have their own FC and what not. But I want you to know when I write this Eddie, I'm thinking of James Ransone as a cleaner version of Ziggy in the Wire and that's just... good shit. &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>“Would it kill you to try and enjoy yourself, Eddie?”</p><p>Eddie sighed deeply into the crook of Bev’s neck, lifting his head up to look at her. It was something he didn’t like to do during, because looking at her brought the guilt back, reminding him that neither wanted to really be doing this.</p><p>“It could help if you told me what you’d like for once,” he offered. </p><p>“Don’t worry about me,” she said with a small smile. “We just need a baby, Eddie.”</p><p>“I’m serious. This probably wouldn’t be so bad for either of us if I could at least get you off.”</p><p>“Good luck with that.”</p><p>Eddie cocked an eyebrow down at her. “Is that a challenge?”</p><p>“Absolutely not,” Bev laughed, but Eddie was already pushing himself up to pull her legs up, making her squeal. “Eddie!”</p><p>“Does this work for you or would you like to try the other position?”</p><p>“<em>The</em> other position? Like there’s two of them?”</p><p>“No, I <em>know</em> there’s three, but I wasn’t sure how adventurous you wanted to be.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes but kept giggling when he leaned back, pulling her by her hips towards him. He wanted to make her feel good, the <em>least</em> he could do for her when he had to put her through all this. One major problem, though, was that when it came to <em>any</em> woman, Eddie just couldn't feel that pull in his gut, even with someone he loved as much as Bev. They were both kind of trapped in this mess together, forced to do this until they could get a baby out of it and then, <em>hopefully,</em> never have to do it again.</p><p>“You came, right?” he asked her after.</p><p>“You’re not supposed to ask questions like that.”</p><p>“I can’t know if I’m pleasing my wife if she doesn’t let me know.”</p><p>Eddie grinned over at her, but his face faltered immediately when he saw her eyes shining. She sniffled once before softly responding.</p><p>“Yeah. I came.”</p><p>“Bev?”</p><p>She breathed in deeply, reaching over to the nightstand to grab her pack of cigarettes. “I’m sorry. It just felt… wrong. Without Ben.”</p><p>Eddie frowned. “Every time?”</p><p>She shook her head, strands of her hair falling into her face from her clumsy, messy bun. “No, it’s… it’s weird sharing a moment like that, at your most vulnerable, with someone who doesn’t - forget about it.”</p><p>The bed creaked as Eddie scooted closer to her, kissing her softly on the shoulder. “I do love you, Bevvie.”</p><p>Her hand was warm on his when she curled her fingers around him. “I love you, too. But we both know it’s not the same.”</p><p>He lifted her chin gently to look at him. “I could  tape a picture of Ben to my forehead if that’ll help. Or would it make you feel better if I never make you orgasm again? That’ll be pretty hard, considering what a sex god I am.”</p><p>Just like that, she was laughing again, brushing him off playfully as she rolled her eyes. “Yeah, ok Ron Jeremy. Keep flattering yourself.”</p><p>Even while he fake-pouted, he couldn’t help but smile at her as they teased each other the rest of the night and settled into bed. She shifted uncomfortably under the sheets, mumbling something about ‘leakage’ as Eddie starred up at the ceiling.</p><p>“How’s it going with Richie?” she asked as she curled up onto his chest.</p><p>“Well, I can’t trust him with a gun, should he shoot himself in the foot. Yet, he somehow manages to do that anyway.”</p><p>“You should hear yourself over dinner when you complain about him.”</p><p>“I’m not going to kill him,” he assured her.</p><p>“That’s not what I’m worried about. Just be careful, Eddie.” Something about her tone was softened, gentle like the way a mother would tell a child to step away from a hot stove. It put a pit in Eddie’s stomach.</p><p>Beverly’s words echoed in Eddie’s head over the weeks that went by. They’d often stay dormant and resurface any time they were left alone and Eddie found himself laughing at something stupid Richie said, or caught himself letting Richie call him <em>Eds</em> once they were without other company. </p><p>“Why do you take so many pills?” Richie was asking him in his small apartment the Family had set him up with, watching Eddie pop three small pills with a beer from Richie’s fridge.</p><p>“That’s not appropriate.”</p><p>Richie eyed him carefully. “You’ve been, uh… letting me spend a lot of time with you, lately.”</p><p>“I’m not letting you do anything. I still feel like you need a babysitter.”</p><p>“Sure, Eds,” he said, smiling at Eddie. “You know, I thought after that stunt with Vic, it would all just get worse from there.”</p><p>“Sorry to disappoint you. If you want, we can take a stroll down to Greenwich and beat up some queers for your amusement.” He looked up hoping to see Richie looking worried, but instead was met with a look of curiosity. “What?”</p><p>“Does your wife know you screw around with hookers?”</p><p>Eddie scowled and slammed his beer down on the counter. “That’s none of your business. Vic was just talking out of his ass. Forget about it.”</p><p>“You seemed awfully angry for something that wasn’t true.”</p><p>“Richie,” he warned. “Enough.”</p><p>“But I wonder,” Richie continued, slowly standing from his couch. “Why is it you give me so much slack?”</p><p>“Are you fucking kidding me?” Eddie scoffed, rolling his eyes and looking away. “I am constantly berating you.”</p><p>“You don’t yell at me like that when we’re alone.”</p><p>Eddie wasn’t sure if he should be angry or not. No, he definitely <em>should </em>be, but he wasn’t. That was scarier than anything, really. He shouldn’t be this comfortable and calm.</p><p>“I think now would be a good time to be quiet.”</p><p>“I don’t think you mean that. I know the only reason you tell me or anyone else to shut up is to not call you out on what you’re feeling.”</p><p>“Tozier,” Eddie warned, still not looking at him.</p><p>“In fact, I think if you let someone talk to you long enough, you’ll start feeling too much. That scares you, doesn’t it?”</p><p>“Richie.” Another warning.</p><p>“You let me joke around when we’re together,” Richie was now whispering, leaning close so that Eddie could see him if he wanted to, but chose to keep his head down. “You let me call you whatever I want. You’re feeling something you’re afraid of. Listen, we... we can just talk.”</p><p>By reaction, Eddie reached up and grabbed Richie by the throat, keeping his face firmly away from his own. All Richie did was hold his arms up in surrender, not pulling away, but not forcing himself closer to Eddie, either. That heat was back in Eddie’s chest, that bubbling anger, that intoxicating fury that lit his skin on fire, made him want to reach out and hurt Richie, just for an excuse to <em>touch </em>him.</p><p>Before he knew what was happening, Eddie heard his voice growl, “Take your fucking pants off.”</p><p>Richie’s eyes grew wide, but his hands immediately flew down and undid his belt, and Eddie let go of his throat the second he heard him pull down his zipper. Eddie roughly pulled his jacket off, his mind blank as Richie clumsily got out of his pants, an obvious erection bulging out of his boxers, which just flared up that heat in Eddie’s chest more.</p><p>“Turn around.”</p><p>“Turn – ?”</p><p>“Turn around. Do not fucking look.”</p><p>Richie did as he was told, and right when his back was to Eddie, he pushed on his shoulders to bend him over the armrest of the couch in front of him, forcing his knees to buck under him and lean over it. This was better, a good height for Eddie, he thought, as he fumbled with his own pants.</p><p>“Hey, are you – are you going to lube up…?” Richie panted, sounding a little scared.</p><p>“No talking,” Eddie said, like a mantra. He spit in his hand and roughly started spreading the spit right where he was going to enter Richie, hearing him hiss.</p><p>“I haven’t – I haven’t bottomed in a while – ”</p><p>Eddie grabbed Richie’s hair on the back of the head with his other hand just as he shoved two of his fingers in. “What did I just fucking say?”</p><p>“Yes, sir,” Richie said, strained as he kept his face down.</p><p>Eddie did not let go of Richie’s head, but spit a few more times, once on his fingers to shove back in, once directly on the hole they were pumping through, and finally in the palm of his hand to coat his dick hurriedly just before allowing himself to push the head of himself in.</p><p>A small <em>ah</em> escaped Richie’s throat, and Eddie simply gripped his hair tighter and grabbed onto Richie’s hip, wasting no time before fucking him. Something was different, something stirred both pleasantly and unpleasantly inside him as he heard Richie’s noises under him, trying to squeeze his eyes tight in shame as he usually did when he was fucking someone. Try as he might, he couldn’t escape the sounds echoing around him, between Richie’s moans and the slapping of Eddie’s hips against Richie’s ass, or the small groans Eddie was allowing himself to make. He wasn’t doing anything to silence either of them. Even when Richie spoke again, Eddie didn’t even bring himself to stop him.</p><p>“<em>Fuck</em> Eds,” he panted. “How’s a little body like yours packing a cock that big?”</p><p>“<em>Shhh</em>!” Eddie shushed, but did nothing further than keep fucking him.</p><p>That something that was stirring began rising, just as the familiar wave of orgasm started to puncture itself through Eddie’s body, and it was making his skin tingle in a way he hadn’t allowed it in years. Hearing Richie below him sent small bursts of pleasure like little fireworks under his skin, in his brain, and finally Eddie let out a final moan, gripping Richie tight to steady himself as he pumped his unprotected load in. He collapsed slightly, relaxing his hands and letting them fall on either side of Richie on the couch, panting through his aftershock. What had just happened wasn’t fully registering in his mind.</p><p>“Hey,” Richie whispered under him. “Mind if I, uh… get up?”</p><p>As if he had just been electrocuted, Eddie shot up, pulling out and forcing a small gasp from Richie as he did so. Richie got up, looking over at Eddie, who was now struggling to put his pants back on.</p><p>“That was, uhm. Nice. I guess I can finish myself later.”</p><p>“We’re still not talking,” Eddie said frantically, trying desperately to buckle his stubborn belt.</p><p>“Eds…”</p><p>Just as he got the belt through, Richie’s hand reached over for his, gentle on his hot skin, but feeling like something sharp and intrusive. Eddie instinctively grabbed Richie’s hand roughly to keep him from touching him so intimately.</p><p>“Don’t. Fucking. Touch me.”</p><p>“Ok,” Richie said simply, allowing his hand to go limp in Eddie’s grip. Eddie still couldn’t let go.</p><p>“If you ever so much as speak about this again, I will fucking kill you, Richie. Do you understand me?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>God, why was he being so goddamn irritatingly calm? Why wasn’t he fucking scared?</p><p>Eddie was terrified.</p><p>Why was <em>he</em> so fucking terrified?</p><p>“Eddie, you can let go. I’ll back off, I promise.”</p><p>He couldn’t, though. He couldn’t let go, and he could not rationalize why as the heat continued to rise under his skin. His limbs were shaking, and he knew Richie could feel the vibrations as Eddie kept his grip on him tight, twisting Richie’s arm in such a way that Richie was forced to kneel down and allow Eddie to tower over him. Something was very, very wrong.</p><p>“Why?” Eddie heard himself saying. “How did you know?”</p><p>“How did I know what?”</p><p>“You fucking know what I’m asking.”</p><p>They kept their gazes steady on each other in a moment of silence. Then, in his strained voice, “The way you look at me.”</p><p>Eddie’s brow furrowed. “Explain.”</p><p>Richie somehow shrugged, even with Eddie’s grip still tight on his hand, pulling his arm away from his body in a funny way. “It just… reminds me of the way my boyfriend used to look at me. That’s all. Those Bambi eyes don’t lie.” Even then, with Eddie obviously infuriated and enraged and twisting Richie’s arm in his grip, Richie still found a way to laugh. “I suppose calling you Bambi is off the table?”</p><p>Eddie waited no time to loosen his grip from Richie’s arm and punch him square in the face. It took Richie by such surprise that he was thrown completely over, his back hitting the side of the couch with a <em>thump</em> on the way down. The smile was still a small ghost on his face as he rubbed his swelling eye.</p><p>“<em>Stop fucking doing that!</em>”</p><p>“Doing what?”</p><p>“Talking to me like - like I’m your fucking friend or something. Like we’re in a fucking relationship. Look, we got this out of our systems now. Are you fucking happy?”</p><p>“Totally,” Richie grumbled, shifting on the floor and just settling there against the couch. “This is the dream right here.”</p><p>“I will do much worse to you than I did to Vic,” Eddie growled, jabbing his finger in Richie’s direction. “If you so much as open your mouth, if you so much as try to touch me like that again, I will rip your guts open like a fucking shredder. I will cut your goddamn larynx out so I don’t have to listen to your stupid fucking jokes while I saw bits of you off bit by bit. Is that clear?”</p><p>“Crystal, chief.”</p><p>Despite his threats and his impatience, Eddie found himself reaching down to help Richie up. The doofus grinned as he stumbled onto his feet. “Aww, you do care.”</p><p>“I’m going to punch you again, Richie.”</p><p>Richie pursed his lips, nodding slowly as he sat down on the armrest of the couch. “Ben seeing your wife tonight?”</p><p>“Why do you still think you can talk to me like that?”</p><p>“Why don’t you talk?”</p><p>Eddie opened his mouth, but no sound came out for a moment as he processed what Richie just said. “What?”</p><p>“When we’re together long enough, you start… sharing things. I can’t help but wonder what you’re hiding that would make you feel better if you just, you know. Let it out.”</p><p>“Careful, Tozier.”</p><p>“Have I ever repeated anything to anyone that you’ve said to me in private?”</p><p>Eddie felt like it was some sort of trap, despite how sincerely Richie was looking at him. “I don’t do… talking.”</p><p>“All of your empty, angry rants tell me otherwise. C’mon, Eds. You don’t have anywhere else to go right now. I know that’s why you came to walk me up to my place. Stay. I’ll even let you hit me again if it’ll make you feel better.”</p><p>The silence was heavy between them, the only sound that could be heard was the ticking of an old clock that hung over the television. All Richie did was wait for Eddie to speak again.</p><p>“Do you have any wine?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Ice Cream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yo this chapter is a wee soft for some palette cleansing before I feel like fucking shit up again. </p><p>I know I'm pretty much getting straight to the point with this fic, so I apologize it's not too lengthy. This is just a fun side project I'm doing while working on my WIP's and a bigger thing. Hope you enjoy, though!</p><p> </p><p>*spoilery tw not in tags: mention of abortion</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You’re going to talk,” Eddie explained, sitting down with a glass of wine on the opposite end of the couch where Richie was sitting. “I’m going to listen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, uh, what am I talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything,” Eddie said with a wave of his hand. “Just… tell me shit. Talk about yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, sure. Uh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said you had a girlfriend,” Eddie was already interrupting. “Are you gay or what the fuck?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m not. I’m bi. I’ve dated both.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Men aren’t bisexual,” Eddie scoffed, sipping his wine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Richie said, and Eddie could practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear</span>
  </em>
  <span> him rolling his eyes. “Well, I had a girlfriend for like three years and that was an entire mistake. Then I dated my ex Stan for a few months before we decided to just stay friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid,” Eddie muttered. “This is so stupid. I can’t believe I’m listening to this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It might help if you do some of the talking, you know. Get things off your chest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have anything on my chest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re telling me you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> gay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The glass in Eddie’s hand shattered as he squeezed his hand into a fist, feeling bits of glass impeding into his palm and the wet alcohol spraying on his pants. “Do not fucking say that shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard Richie sigh with such impatience, he wished he had a second glass to break. His hand was bleeding and stinging from the sticky wine in the small cuts, but he didn’t want to move. He’d rather just sit here and seethe in his anger. Eventually, he let it subside enough to speak again, the silence driving him crazy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t be gay, Richie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, yeah, I get that… I mean, you’re the Boss’s grandkid, though. Wouldn’t he make an exception or whatever the fuck?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t understand. Family is blood. If I don’t have kids, a son from my own loins, I’ll be a disgrace. Bev - my wife - she’s already getting harassed about not getting pregnant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t you leave?” Eddie couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it, flicking bits of glass off of his hand. “Right,” Richie continued. “That was probably a stupid thing to say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I tell you something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That depends on how stupid it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We used to go to school together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie looked up then, his brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t even there for a year, but my parents sent me to your fancy private school to see if it would help my grades. I ended up getting pulled out instead after being bullied too much. Partly by you, I might add. We must’ve been, what, maybe eleven?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie dug through his brain and searched his memories of his preteen years. It didn’t take long to remember sitting at lunch, when a lanky boy in Eddie’s class came up to him and pinched his cheek, exclaiming, ‘Cute, cute, cute!’ It was so embarrassing, Eddie had his friends start harassing Richie and making vague threats. When he didn’t leave Eddie alone, he had someone sit on Richie’s back while Eddie snapped his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus,” Eddie muttered now. “That was… awful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, you - you’ve seen yourself now, right? Or do you just repress all the violence when it’s over?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not simple, Rich.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie leaned onto the armrest and hid his face in the crook of his arm, keeping it stretched out to avoid getting his blood on his face. He felt Richie get off of the couch and heard him retrieving something from what sounded like the bathroom, just before feeling him sit right beside Eddie and making him jolt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gimme your hand,” Richie said, holding a pair of tweezers and a wet cloth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie reluctantly held his hand out, wincing as Richie started pulling out the bits of glass from  his palm, watching him do so with steady ease and concentration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could’ve cleaned this up myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s best that someone else does it. Especially with your tendency to punch things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie scowled, about to snap at him until he looked up and saw how close Richie’s face was. Instead of anger, he felt flush and a little sick, but in that way one would feel about to drop from a rollercoaster as opposed to straight up fear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My dad was a dentist,” Richie was saying. “Obviously it’s not the same as a doctor, but he was very good with stuff like this. I was pretty accident prone and wild growing up, so it was kind of necessary. He was also scarily good with emotional stuff. I guess I didn’t pick up anything from him though, because my coping with him dying was just snorting cocaine and drinking whiskey every day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He carefully inspected Eddie’s hand first before wiping it clean and wrapping it up in some gauze that he had placed beside him on the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Eddie mumbled sheepishly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the least I can do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie frowned. “For what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For fucking me instead of killng me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no way he could stay after that. Already terrified about how intimate they were, Eddie got up and took a walk before coming home to Beverly. She was laying on her stomach with her legs kicked up behind her, absorbed in a book as she usually was. The air was tense, and he had half a mind to ask if everything was alright with Ben. He settled for something more subtle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you ok?” he asked, sitting down on the bed beside her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A moment passed before she answered, and she didn’t even look up when she did so. “I’m pregnant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried - god, she really tried not to sound completely broken, but Eddie could hear the fear in that small little sentence, her voice weak. This news came with the unbearable burden of commitment, not just to a marriage with Eddie, but to a life completely revolving around this life that she hated so much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bevvie,” he said softly. “Do you want to have a baby?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have to have a baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if we couldn’t? What if - what if I go to the doctor next week and find out I can’t have any kids? That I shoot blanks? They won’t, they </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> get mad at you for that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, she put her book down and looked up at him seriously. “Eddie, it’s a little late for that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a way, she was right, and he should have thought of this more seriously over the last two years of their marriage. Reality didn’t seem to hit him quite yet until this moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can take you to the doctor. We’ll tell the Family they checked you out and everything looked good, but we’ll… make sure you don’t have to go through with this. If that’s what you want. Then I’ll take the blame for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t ask you to do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I can’t ask you to be a fucking incubator for a monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat up then, cupping his cheek softly. “Eddie, you’re not a monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled sadly at her. “I love that you think so kindly of me, Bev.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her softly on the palm. She frowned at the bandages there, but didn’t say anything about them. “I promise I’ll make this right, Bev. I’ll even ask them to punish you by making you marry Ben.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you really think they’d take that seriously?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie sighed. “No. He is pretty hot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beverly giggled, leaning forward to rest her head on Eddie’s shoulders. “I’m sorry we’re both in this mess, Eddie,” she said sincerely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me, too Bev.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They went through a few places before finding one where Bev could have a partner come into the procedure room with her for support. Eddie offered to let Ben come with her, but she didn’t want to risk it. Besides, she had said, this was part of Eddie, too. Being forced to be married to someone isn’t the worst thing ever when they end up being your best friend, they supposed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want some ice cream?” Eddie asked her after. “We can pick up Cold Stone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds amazing,” Bev yawned, resting her head on the car window. “I want chocolate chip cookie dough with hot fudge and peanuts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’ll get a shake with mint ice cream. No chocolate chips.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s disgusting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not disgusting, it’s refreshing,” Eddie reasoned, but Bev just laughed at him anyway. “I don’t like bits and pieces of stuff in my ice cream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not even sprinkles?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Especially not sprinkles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After getting Beverly her disgusting, high-calorie (but well deserved) ice cream, Eddie stopped at the front of the building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not parking?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Ben’s waiting in the apartment for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what?” she asked, confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I figured you’d want to spend the day with him… you know… after.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beverly smiled at him. “I don’t want to kick you out of your own house all day, Eddie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have places to be. Don’t worry about me. Take care of yourself and I’ll see you tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beverly leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Eddie’s cheek. “I love you, Eddie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too. Now go eat your ice cream and make out with your hot mistress on the couch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Traffic was steady and calm as Eddie drove to his destination, making it hard for him to collect his thoughts. Normally, he’d utilize the traffic to think and organize, but he got no such luxury today. Maybe it was for the best. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he arrived, not even Henry was here to stand guard at the door. It was just Eddie with his own discretions. He opened the door, locking it behind him, not saying a word until he sat on the bed next to the other man in the room.</span>
</p><p>"I got you ice cream," Eddie said, handing him the green concoction of a milkshake.</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” said Bill, taking a sip carefully. “N-no body guard today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to ask you for something. You are going to promise me that you will not tell a soul, Henry included, or I will fucking kill you. Do you understand?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-ok,” Bill said nervously, obviously still traumatized from the last few visits he had received from Eddie, a million horrible and painful thoughts likely running through his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie took a deep breath. “Kiss me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The transition on his face was almost comical before Bill whispered, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>What?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like asking for things twice. Just… do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Completely bewildered, Bill scooted a little closer, leaning in until Eddie felt his lips on his own. It was odd and Eddie felt himself stiffen, resisting the urge to hurt Bill for just doing what Eddie had asked him to do. Every fiber of his being told him not to be doing this, but he repressed it all down. Almost too soon, Bill pulled away again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-you don’t f-f-feel like you w-want to be d-doing this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Th-then why are w-we doing this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I - ” Eddie paused briefly before ultimately deciding, well, fuck it. “Because I want to kiss someone else and I don’t want to feel like a total jackass when I do it.” The words came out rushed and pathetic, and Eddie almost wanted to punch himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“H-have - have you not kissed anyone before?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha - of course I fucking have, I just - ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not a guy,” Bill finished for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Eddie confirmed. “Not a guy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bill nodded, looking a little more at ease, but still cautious. He took a deeper drink of his mint shake. “How honest do you want me to be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t - I won’t hurt you, I promise.” Eddie said sincerely. “But I seriously need you to stop talking and do this for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they kissed again, Eddie allowed himself to relax more, trying just to enjoy the kiss for what it was, focus on the cool, minty freshness in Bill's mouth, which helped relax him. It wasn’t bad as they got into it, but Eddie couldn’t but feel it wasn’t quite… right. It wasn’t like the kisses he shared with Bev for show, and it wasn’t horrible, but it still felt weird for Eddie to reach up and feel Bill against the palm of his hand. He wanted to feel stubble and the cold metal frames of glasses when he touched the person he was kissing, and that made him upset again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fucking christ,” Eddie muttered, pushing Bill away a little forcefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-sorry!” Bill said automatically, tensing up as if Eddie was going to hit him again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not you,” Eddie said ruefully. “I’m just a fucking disaster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s - it’s ok.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I broke your fingers,” Eddie found himself saying. “I'm not going to do anything like that again. Can you do me one more favor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” Eddie grumbled, hiding his face in his hands. “I can’t believe I’m going to ask you to do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do… do what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you… just lay in the bed with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Embarrassing as it was, Eddie was very grateful for Bill simply nodding, both of them scooting back and resting their heads against the pillows. Eddie took a deep breath before allowing himself to roll over and rest his head on Bill’s chest, breathing in the scent of faint cologne. Bill still felt a little stiff under his weight, his heartbeat erratic and nervous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this - is this ok, F-Frankie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With another heavy sigh, he reached his arm over and snuggled closer to Bill, feeling some of his normal and consistent anger relent just ever so slightly as he squeezed Bill tightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can call me Eddie.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Open Book</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just another day trying to pretend your new lackey isn't making you horny.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back to the feral ramblings of someone who doesn't want to work on their collection project or much better-written chapter fic.</p><p>I honest to god was trying to write Mike's chapter for my next installment of Pull Us Out of This, and decided I would just drop Mike off at this violent bus stop instead. Enjoy it for what it is and thanks for coming back &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Eddie should have known better than to slip into a zone of comfort. It wasn’t that he was unlucky, really. Life was just shit wall-to-wall, and he wasn’t immune to that. So it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when the gentleman asked if he was Richie’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>boyfriend</span>
  </em>
  <span> in public. Well, no one was really around, but the implications were enough to send Eddie spiraling, and it didn’t do the guy any favors being that no one was around to see Eddie pull his beretta out on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey hey hey hey,” the man hushed, his hands up in pleading surrender and leaning back against the bookshelf behind him. “Easy, man. I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why the fuck would you ask him that?” Eddie hissed, pushing the tip of his gun firmly into the man’s chest. The man was broad-shouldered, muscular, almost as tall as Richie even, but his gentle demeanor was too obvious, too much of a weakness for Eddie not to take advantage of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ed - </span>
  <em>
    <span>Frankie</span>
  </em>
  <span> - please,” Richie pleaded off to the side. “Mike is my brother-in-law. He knows - he knows about </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, that’s all. It has nothing to do with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honest mistake,” the man, Mike, said softly, trying to smile through his fear.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not saying anything at first, Eddie narrowed his eyes at the taller man and considered him for a moment. Finally, he stuffed his gun away, taking a mental note that what he was thinking, </span>
  <em>
    <span>feeling</span>
  </em>
  <span>, was far too dangerous to act on. Richie was too well known, even for a small-time comedian. His brother-in-law would not be the only one to connect the dots, not if Richie had not previously hidden aspects of his dating life before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Mike said again, rubbing his torso where Eddie’s gun had been pressed just a moment ago. “Really, you don’t - I mean you don’t seem - ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough,” Eddie said through gritted teeth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mike’s a good guy,” Richie said rather earnestly. “No one’s around. He wouldn’t out someone in public like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Out?” Eddie snapped. “There’s nothing to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>out</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand,” Mike said apologetically. “Why don’t we go take a look at the book I was telling you about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right. The reason they were here to begin with. They followed Mike to the back, where a large and voluminous encyclopedia was laying on an old desk under dim light in his office. Mike opened the book to reveal a large, carved out space in the center of the pages, a thick pocket where someone could easily hide something as large as a wad of cash or deposit a drug drop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you’re sure it was Henry?” Eddie asked, having already shown Mike a picture of Bowers from his phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Positive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The man who picked  up - whatever it was he picked up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mike gave Eddie a blurry print out of the library’s security footage, and Eddie immediately recognized the face he saw in front of him. It seemed as if Henry had been part of whatever shady bullshit Vic got involved in, trading under the table. Given Eddie’s lack of passion for the business as a whole, he could muster it up to turn his cheek and let Henry do whatever the fuck he wanted. But it wasn’t just a product Henry had to trade; there was information.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Very, very sensitive information about Eddie that absolutely couldn’t get out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mike,” Eddie said slowly. “How did you come to find all this out? How did you know to ask Richie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t!” Mike said in a slight panic. “I mean, I told Richie about it, but I -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was telling me about it in passing,” Richie explained, coming to Mike’s rescue. “When he showed me the footage, I recognized Henry and just…” He shrugged. “Thought you should know. Just in case.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t say anything,” Mike pleaded with Eddie. “I promise! Listen, I’ve been dealing with Richie’s bullshit since high school, I’m not about to bother bringing legalities into anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is very, very good at keeping quiet,” Richie said. “I mean, obviously, he’s a librarian. It’s half his job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you Richie,” Mike murmured sarcastically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Mikey,” Eddie said, clapping Mike on the shoulder and making him flinch. “You wouldn’t mind keeping in touch and… maybe keeping things running as they are, would you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean… letting them…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Eddie smiled, squeezing Mike’s shoulder. “Just keep an eye open and your mouth shut, and let us know what’s going on. Got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure thing,” Mike said very pleasantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just before they left the library, Eddie caught sight of a picture frame on Mike’s desk. At first, he thought it was a strange, edited photo of Richie, until he looked closer. It must have been Richie’s sibling, a slight young man with a softer face, likely half a foot shorter than Richie. In the photo, Mike was kissing him on the cheek, and it looked like they were both wearing tuxes. They left and got into Eddie’s car as he was realizing Richie never mentioned having a sister, only a sibling. Eddie had wrongly assumed Mike was straight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did a really good job by telling me about all this, Richie,” Eddie was saying. “You have no idea how far that appreciation is going to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You, uh, missed my street,” Richie said from the passenger's seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever. I want a drink and it’s depressing drinking alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beverly not home?” Richie inquired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so. She’s probably out shopping.” Or fucking Ben in his apartment. Either or. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shame. I’d like to meet her. I heard she’s lovely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who the fuck are you talking to about my wife?” Eddie said rather defensively.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as he suspected, Beverly wasn’t home. After making Richie take his shoes off, he made himself a drink at the small bar in his dining room, taking note that the rum had diminished greatly, meaning Ben had been by earlier. Eddie wondered if they had gone out, maybe pretended that he was simply just Bev’s body guard as he admired her trying on new outfits in various stores, staring at her in the love-sick way Eddie always saw on his face when Bev was in the room. He couldn’t blame Ben, really; Beverly was one of the most amazing people Eddie has ever met. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Admittedly, Eddie was jealous. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But not because he wanted Beverly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wanted what they had, that carefree delight, the quenched longing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It just didn’t seem fair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be right back,” Eddie said suddenly, feeling his heartbeat start to quicken. “Stay right there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, ok,” Richie said from the couch, still waiting for Eddie to pour him his bourbon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bedroom was a bit disheveled, looking as if Beverly and Ben had left in a hurry. Eddie simply gripped onto one of the posters of his bed frame, placing a hand over his chest and doing some bullshit breathing exercises. How the hell did Richie simultaneously manage to put Eddie at ease and piss him off with his mere presence all at once?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie’s voice was so soft it was almost startling as Eddie turned around to face him. Realization hit Eddie that they had never been alone in </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> place, let alone in his bedroom, as Richie stood at the doorway looking into the space where Beverly would not be occupying for some time. Eddie felt himself audibly gulp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you to wait in the living room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Richie smiled, relaxing against the door frame. He knew Eddie wasn’t going to yell at him, not when they were alone again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alone for god knows how long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you… do me a favor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure thing, boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sit on the bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie raised his eyebrows, but complied. His movements were maddeningly slow (or maybe Eddie’s brain was just not functioning properly to process this) as he walked in and plopped down right beside where Eddie’s pillow was. With shaking limbs, Eddie took a breath, stepping forward and pushing Richie down to lay his back on the bed, straddling him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t hit me again,” Richie said, half-jokingly. Probably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, Tozier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grabbed Richie’s face just under his chin to keep his head still, leaning down and kissing him roughly, chaste. He scowled and pulled away, looking down at Richie sternly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did I do now?” Richie nearly exclaimed, looking worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you quit fucking smoking?” Eddie chastised. “You taste like an ashtray.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not giving him a chance to answer, Eddie kissed him again, trying to experience the feeling of their facial hair rubbing roughly against each other. Their teeth clashed together before Eddie pried his way into Richie’s mouth, licking the roof of his mouth and letting their tongues dance around together between them, tasting the menthol cigarettes and feeling something smooth and minty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get rid of your gum,” Eddie growled against Richie’s lips, feeling Richie swallow it before pulling Eddie back down on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They weren’t giving each other any room to breathe, Eddie wasn’t even allowing himself to </span>
  <em>
    <span>think </span>
  </em>
  <span>out of fear that he wouldn’t be continuing this. Something was stirring in his chest, beyond the desire and pleasure he wanted to feel, something warm that he wanted to blossom under Richie’s touch. Except, he hadn’t so much as </span>
  <em>
    <span>let </span>
  </em>
  <span>Richie touch him the way either of them surely wanted, and that moment it happened right there on Eddie’s bed just awakened that violent creature hiding in the darkness of his soul.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop!” Eddie gasped, immediately grabbing Richie’s hand that had crept into his thigh and twisting it in a way he knew could snap a bone if he wanted to. “Don’t fucking touch me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie grimaced at the sensation, surely knowing full well how this was going to go (again) if he didn’t comply. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie, let go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>What did you just say</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Eddie hissed down at him, disbelieving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let. Fucking. Go.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His voice was firm, if not just a bit strained as Eddie pressed down on his fingers. It took Eddie by surprise when he suddenly felt Richie sit up beneath him and grip the back of his hair, forcing Eddie to let go of Richie’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Getoffme!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Eddie growled, trying to reach back to pry Richie off, but it was no good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As intimidating as Eddie thought he was with a gun in his hand and a bodyguard by his side, they were alone now, and Eddie was starting to comprehend how </span>
  <em>
    <span>small</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was in the other man's grip. The big dopey idiot was impossibly strong, not budging like he had so easily before, relentless in holding Eddie still. And that - and that was -</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you liked it,” Richie said, his voice rough as his other hand went back to Eddie’s jeans to cup where his cock was straining. “God you </span>
  <em>
    <span>need </span>
  </em>
  <span>someone to put you in your place, don’t you, kitten?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Do not fucking call me that!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Eddie spat, despite his dick impossibly hardening more as Richie twisted the grip in Eddie’s hair. “Get - get your hands off me, Richie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie’s hand, large and warm, let go of the bulge in Eddie’s jeans to pull his collar down, exposing more of the subtle neck and Eddie’s chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t take you for a tattoo guy,” Richie mused, Eddie still squirming in his grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop,” Eddie pleaded. “Whatever you’re going to do, just - just don’t, please Richie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Richie intoned with a grin. “Didn’t think I’d ever hear you say that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie had no time to retort before Richie sunk his teeth down in his flesh, just at the base of his neck above his collarbone. A whimper ripped through Eddie’s throat, his hips thrusting towards Richie’s body involuntarily as he felt his skin bruising. He reached up to grip Richie’s bicep, trying to pry him off to no avail. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Richie,” Eddie whined. “Richie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a yelp when Richie pulled off of him, looking at the mark he had left there with hunger in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a reminder,” he murmured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Re-reminder of what?” Eddie panted. His breath hitched as Richie’s eyes met his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Reminder of what you really want. I want you to think about me any time you look at yourself in the mirror… any time you hide it under your collar and pretend to be whatever it is you think people want you to be. I’m gonna be right here,” he added, pressing his thumb into the bruising make and making Eddie wince.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” Eddie growled, still pointlessly trying to pry Richie’s hand from his hair. “You hear me? I’m going to fucking kill you for that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah?” Richie challenged, suddenly releasing his hands from Eddie, leaving him free to move as he pleased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They sat there staring at each other, heat and rage building up in Eddie’s chest as he continued to straddle Richie, wanting to stick a knife through Richie’s cheek and feed his skin to the rats in the alley. No one, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no one</span>
  </em>
  <span>, had the nerve to do something to Eddie like this before. The hookers knew better, Beverly certainly had no interest, and the men that worked for the Family would never dare lay a finger on the Boss’s grandson. Because Eddie had the power to get anyone he wanted killed, and was hanging on just enough of a thread that the wrong word could set in motion the diminishment of his place on the food chain, his very personhood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then this asshole had to come along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This stupid, funny, piece of shit, great looking, asshole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This fucking asshole whom Eddie was now grabbing and kissing furiously, pawing through his hair. This fucking asshole whom Eddie was letting rack his hands all over Eddie’s body and grinding up into his hips, large hands sending goosebumps through his skin while his teeth bit down into Eddie’s bottom lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh yeah. Eddie was a fucking goner. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>maybe i'll write some torture next time as a lil treat&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. This is Dangerous</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter notes? Who needs ‘em. Here’s some smut.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Stop,” Eddie breathes, weakly brushing Richie’s hands away from where they’re pawing at his belt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are you still </span>
  <em>
    <span>fighting </span>
  </em>
  <span>me? Fucking relax.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t know</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Eddie wants to say before something is shoved into his mouth. It takes him a moment to process the taste of salty sweat and realizes it's Richie’s fingers, jammed far back enough that Eddie can’t speak as they’re all shoved in, Eddie’s head pressed too deeply into the mattress he can’t move away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When I pull them out, you’re going to give me a safeword,” Richie is saying, his other arm now pinning Eddie’s wrists on his chest. “Which I might add is very fucking generous of me given how fucking psychotic you are.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, is what Eddie wants to say, but comes up as a gurgling mess of drool coating Richie’s fingers in his mouth as he just grins down at Eddie. The fingers are yanked out, leaving Eddie gasping for a second before he reels his head back against the bed and spits up into Richie’s face. It lands just above his lip, dripping onto his chin. His face reddens and Eddie can’t tell if it's from embarrassment or rage before his hand is back on Eddie’s face, gripping his chin with vigor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you fucking dare, Tozier!” Eddie managed to hiss out before Richie spat back in his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Listen to me you little shit,” Richie growled, leaning down so that his hot breath was in Eddie’s ear. “I know how badly you want me. So I’m trying to make this easy and </span>
  <em>
    <span>make you</span>
  </em>
  <span> do it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck off,” Eddie tries to growl, but it comes off as a pathetic whimper in his throat. Richie just chuckles, making him angrier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Safeword.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If his hands were free, Eddie would have shot himself in the face for what came out of his mouth next.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spaghetti.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh jesus why Eddie</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richie brought himself up to look at Eddie again, loosening the grip on Eddie’s chin. “You don’t even realize how badly you need this. You’ve spent your whole life beating people down and torturing people to fill that need for intimacy. You’re so goddamn angry because it’s killing you not to be touched. I wonder, do you actually fuck your hookers or just cuddle?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop,” Eddie breaths. “Please. Don’t - don’t make me talk. Just fuck me and get it over with.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not how this is going to work,” Richie says softly, tracing the bite mark he left on Eddie’s neck. “I really like you, you know; the real you. The version of you I see when we’re alone. I just have to start breaking you down piece by piece until the foundations your family built are finally gone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Richie,” Eddie is begging, feeling Richie’s fingers slip down to his neck and constrict slightly. “Please.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Please what, kitten?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Argggh</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Eddie growls, feeling heat grow in his belly. “Stop calling me - ”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>SMACK!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richie had let go just quickly enough to slap Eddie hard in the face before his hand was back on his throat. “Behave.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please,” Eddie is saying again, straining his voice as Richie is restricting the blood flow to his head, his dick somehow harder than he ever thinks it's been in his life. “Please don’t drag this out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A small smirk started to grow on Richie’s face. “But I’m having </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You’re already doing such a good job listening. Don’t worry; we’re not going to fuck today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not?” Eddie asked, sounding almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>disappointed</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richie shook his head down at him. “You’ve never done this before and I need to make sure you have a day off after I rearrange your guts.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He moved Eddie’s hands down to where his dick was bulging against the fabric of his jeans, so hard and so fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span> that Eddie’s felt his heart skip a fucking beat and his mouth go dry. No, he definitely could not handle </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>right now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he could say another word, Richie manhandled him over onto his stomach, pulling his arms back behind him. His dick was now pressing into the bed, Richie’s against his ass, and he could smell the fading scent of Beverly's shampoo, which just felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong </span>
  </em>
  <span>right now, so he turned his head to the side, even if he still couldn’t see Richie properly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What - what are you going to do?” Eddie asked weakly, moaning softly as Richie palmed at his ass with one of his large hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever I want,” Richie said simply. “It’s not like you can do anything about it, anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’re not - you’re not going to fuck me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie's belt had been undone already, and Richie was now pulling it out of their loops to use as a bondage for Eddie’s hands, keeping them firmly in place at the small of his back. His hands roughly pulled down Eddie’s jeans down to his knees, leaving a burning sensation along Eddie’s thighs. Richie took his time sliding his hands up them where the skin was sensitive, making his way back up to Eddie’s ass, reaching around to grab his hips and pull them upward. It elicited another embarrassing sound from Eddie, and Richie responded by smacking him on the ass harder than he had hit his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, you’re gonna come apart right under me, sweetheart,” Richie was saying. A soft wet sound came next, and Eddie could recognize that Richie was softly sucking on his own fingers, likely the ones that had just been in Eddie’s own mouth. It made Eddie’s belly grow hot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Speech could not escape his lips, not able to process as Richie pulled down his briefs, that his bare open ass was right in Richie’s view. Wet, warm fingers found their way there in a way that he’s never been touched before, not even by himself. They moved along his rim in a circular motion for just a second or two before they pushed in roughly, forcing Eddie to gasp.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shhh,” Richie was shushing softly. “Take it easy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Take it easy </span>
  </em>
  <span>he says as his fingers ram themselves in and out of Eddie’s ass vigorously, making Eddie start to moan uncontrollably. His body flushed and he could feel himself blushing down to his chest as these unfamiliar feelings rushed into him. He could practically feel every crevice and impression of Richie’s fingers as they twisted and curved downward until a sudden jolting sensation ran through Eddie’s body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rich, Richie!” Eddie cried, his fists clenched and desperately pulling at his belt to break loose. “Stop, please!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think so,” Richie says hoarsely, pressing them impossibly harder and faster. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie’s body was twitching uncontrollably and he was - Jesus, he was crying and wiggling around and trying to break loose. He knew the word he had to say to stop this, but he couldn’t bring himself to it, feeling his hips buck back against Richie’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There we go,” Richie cooes from behind him. “You’re gonna come for me, baby?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Richie. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I need - I need to touch it. Please </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> - ”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, kitten. You’re gonna come on my fingers. If you keep behaving, next time I can play with your cock. Come for me, ok?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie is whimpering now, fighting off against the heat and tightening in his belly, until his mind goes to mush, and that familiar electrical pulsing is running through him, but in harsher waves he’s never felt before, his dick squirting down as he’s coming and groaning so loud it’s echoing back to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sensation settles down almost as quickly as it hit, Richie’s fingers having stopped moving, Eddie’s panting starting to regulate down to a normal breathing level, and he doesn’t even realize Richie is frozen until he opens his eyes and sees someone in the doorway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span> are you doing?” Ben shouts, a finger in Richie’s direction. “Get the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck </span>
  </em>
  <span>off of him before i bash your fucking face in!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Easy, Haystack!” Richie is saying, pulling his fingers out of Eddie and causing him to let out a little gasp.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben, wait, wait!” Eddie says quickly. “Fucking turn around for a minute!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben freezes, looking bewildered for a moment before turning around and Richie’s hands are desperately undoing the belt keeping Eddie’s hands tied back. His face is hot ahead, not even really in embarrassment, or anger, it’s something unrecognizable, but it still is creating a pit in his stomach. Eddie gets up and pulls his pants back up, pulling his overshirt off to wipe the mess off of the sheets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You good?” Ben asks, sounding frustrated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben turns around, still eyeing Richie suspiciously. “What the fuck?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did it look?” Richie asks, and it throws Eddie off completely before he could answer Ben himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did it </span>
  <em>
    <span>look</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Ben shouted. “It looks like you were assaulting my fucking boss!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richie looked over at Eddie meaningfully, his eyebrows raised and it hit Eddie that Richie had made it look like that on purpose, so Eddie would not be caught possibly enjoying it. Slick bastard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben,” Eddie says slowly, looking back over at him. “You can’t say anything about this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s obvious that it didn’t hit </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ben</span>
  </em>
  <span> right until that moment as his face dropped, staring at Eddie incredulously. But Eddie couldn’t let Richie get in trouble. Not for this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben, answer me. You know I don’t appreciate having to repeat myself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I - I won’t. But… Jesus, Eddie. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Does Beverly know</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For some reason, Eddie started laughing, quite hysterically even. Ben was looking at him and looking </span>
  <em>
    <span>angry</span>
  </em>
  <span>, as if he had the audacity to do so. Eddie got up, feeling a bit different as he did so having just experienced something wildly different, looking Ben straight in the eye as he stared threateningly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben,” Eddie said softly. “Need I remind you that the only reason you’re fucking my wife is because I allow it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It turns cold for a second and Eddie can see the larger man's jaw tighten. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Need I remind you that the only reason I don’t crush your grape sized head is because you sign my paycheck?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie smiled, no trace of fear to be found. “I know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boys,” Richie says behind Eddie’s back. “Can we maybe not - have an old western showdown in the bedroom?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why aren’t you with Beverly, Ben?” Eddie asked casually.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She said she had an errand,” said Ben. “Thought she’d be back by now. She hasn’t been answering the phone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you just happen to have a key to my place on hand?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds?” Richie sounds pleasing and Eddie can see he’s been reduced back to the nervous, sweaty wreck he usually is when they’re around other people, just waiting to crack a pun to ease the tension. “Maybe we should take a walk?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe we should. Have fun fucking my wife in my bed, Ben.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t look at him again as he walks out with Richie, stepping into the elevator silently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you guys not like each other? What’s the deal?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie shrugged. “We’re fine. Ben is a decent guy, he just seems to hate me for being married to to woman he is fucking.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. But you let him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He makes Beverly happy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looks up and sees Richie giving him a soft look, a small smile on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really love her, huh? I mean, not… romantically, obviously. But you care about her a lot. It’s sweet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had not even addressed the incredibly insane thing they had done upstairs, and Eddie quickly jammed the elevator stop button without even thinking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit dude,” Richie said, beginning to panic. “I didn’t - I didn’t mean anything by it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Quiet,” Eddie said, and Richie snapped his mouth shut immediately, back to his dog-like obedience that he kept up outside of their alone time. “What the hell happened up there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richie pursed his lips. “You didn’t safeword. I figured it was… ok.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was… more than ok,” Eddie hears himself saying. “But I can’t promise I’m going to keep going down that easily, Tozier.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richie grins at that. “I don’t plan on taking it easy on you, Eds.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His smile is playful, but the softness is still there, and it’s stirring those foreign feelings in Eddie’s chest again. He knows there’s no working cameras in these elevators, because they’re for his and Beverlys use only, and they have security outside the elevator doors for intruders. So there’s nothing to stop him as he steps close to Richie, his fist grabbing his collar and pulling him down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s different than it was upstairs, when he was all lust and hunger. Richie’s hand reached up to grab his softly, encouraging him to loosen the grip he had on Richie’s shirt and relax. His heart felt like it was fluttering for fucks sake, reaching up to stand on his toes and close the difference between them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing in Eddie’s life could be described as peaceful, save for small stolen moments with Beverly or times he could see his grandfather outside of business matters. Part of him still wouldn’t let go of his anger, knowing he could never do this outside of these private walls. Yet somehow his mind shut down and buzzed happily feeling Richie enclose his arms around him as they kissed there, allowing himself to enjoy it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kiss is </span>
  <em>
    <span>sweet</span>
  </em>
  <span>, slow, and it’s making Eddie feel like jello and relaxing against Richie’s body. This was far more dangerous than fucking or a fling now, and he’s realizing this as his hands are in Richie’s hair and he’s breathing softly against Richie’s mouth. This could be the end of everything, and Eddie let’s that fear wash right over him in exchange for Richie’s breath. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I didn’t quite add any torture, but shits gonna get violent again soon cause that’s just mob life yo.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Al Marsh</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Gather children, I arrive with gifts of torture, as a pedophile deserves &lt;3</p>
<p>that's it, that's the chap. cw for mentioning of abortion and csa.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Beverly was not the type of person to text so Eddie immediately became nervous when he received a message from asking to meet at The Dorsia, a hotel that Eddie usually frequented when he was meeting with, well… guests.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t come,” he told Richie, dropping him off at his apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna see you soon though, right?” Richie asked, looking at him hopefully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sighed, allowing his demeanor to soften. “Yeah, of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe you can get me out of doing a job with Patrick,” Richie muttered, moving to get out of the car. “That dude gives me the fucking creeps.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll think about it,” said Eddie, smirking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richie just grinned, waving a hand at him as he leaned down to say goodbye. “Later, Spaghetti!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie shook his head, watching Richie clumsily run up to his building, trying to suppress that giddiness that tried to fight it’s way to his awareness. His </span>
  <em>
    <span>wife</span>
  </em>
  <span> needed him right now and he drove as fast as he could to get to where he needed to be, walking right through the lobby and in towards the elevator. He briefly checked the room number she texted him earlier and let her know he was almost there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rage immediately flooded him when Beverly opened the door, a shiny new bruise developing just below her eye under her cheek. Despite smiling at him, Eddie pushed his way inside, slamming the door shut to get a closer look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bevvie, what the fuck happened?” he demanded, lightly thumbing the dark spot. “Who did this to you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie, I need you to relax - ”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t tell me to relax! Just tell me what happened so I can fucking kill them!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beverly sighed, grabbing his hand with hers and reaching up to touch his face with the other. “It was an accident, Eddie. I just need you to listen to me, ok?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ben</span>
  </em>
  <span> do this?” Eddie hissed, slightly disbelieving, but nonetheless never surprised when a seemingly nice person did something shitty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Eddie, it… it was my dad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He dropped his hands, staring at her incredulously. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed, sauntering over to the nearest mattress and setting herself down there, folding her hands in her lap. Eddie had neve particularly cared for Al Marsh, especially not the way Beverly had talked about him, but he hadn’t known him to ever put his hands on her before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My dad found out,” Beverly said after a minute. “About the clinic.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One of the nurses,” Bev sighed. “She… she recognized me from the… the last time I got one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie narrowed his eyes, thinking about a dozen ways he could find and kill this nurse, but Beverly looked up at him almost pleadingly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be mad at the nurse! She - she thought the circumstances were the same, she… she was just concerned about me. She came after my dad and threatened him, but I explained to her it wasn’t what she thought.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What were the circumstances last time?” Eddie asked slowly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tears flooded her eyes for a moment, and she immediately went to wipe under her eye before the first one fell, sniffling into the back of her hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Last time, it - it was my dads. I was fourteen.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He - your - your </span>
  <em>
    <span>father</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Eddie stammered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter!” Bev said breathlessly, still trying to stop her tears from falling. “He knows now, and he knows how much trouble he and I will get into, so,” she shrugged, laughing humorlessly. “I guess now we have no choice but to have a baby.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>None of this mattered to Eddie right now, nothing but red and white-hot anger flowing through his veins. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bevvie,” he said softly. “I need you to stay here, ok? Can you do that for me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie,” Bev tried, but he held a hand up to shush her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, Bev.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie, don’t do something stupid like kill him!” Bev called.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not bothering to give a response, Eddie turned on his heel and ran out, taking his phone out to call Richie again, asking him to bring Al to the warehouse. The slight tremble in Richie’s voice told Eddie that Richie knew exactly what Eddie had in mind to do, but he did not argue. No matter what plans he had in store in the bedroom, out here it didn’t matter; Eddie was the boss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bring Ben,” Eddie told him, pulling out a duffle bag from the trunk of his car to check the tools. “He’ll want to come.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dozens of times before this, </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> like this, someone was bound and gagged to a chair, fear in their eyes while Eddie stared down at them with malice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie,” Ben said slowly, his hands on Al’s shoulders as he sat and wiggled about trying to loosen the tape trapping him there. “What exactly are we doing right now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beverly told me something very interesting, Al,” Eddie said, leaning down close to Al’s face. “And I’m not just talking about the fresh bruises that I saw on her face.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Al’s shirt scrunched as Ben tightened his grip on his shoulders, reddening as that familiar rage was creeping through him as much as it was with Eddie. They both ignored Al’s muffles against the rag shoved in his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you really all that concerned about my family’s legacy, Al? Carrying on the family name for my sake? Or were you just praying you’d get the opportunity to have another child at your grasp?” Eddie clicked his tongue. “Either way, I gotta say, I don’t take too kindly the idea of a child molester near my family.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He did… what?” Ben said through gritted teeth, digging his nails into Al’s shoulders now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not going to worry about what he did,” Eddie said coldly, lightly tapping Al’s face. “We’re going to make sure he never has the opportunity to do it </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After hearing what Eddie said, Ben had no hesitation to help hold Al down with an arm around his chest while Eddie took his pants off. The duffle bag was just behind him, and Eddie turned to reach for a tool when he saw Richie was already handing one to him. He looked up, mildly surprised, to see Richie offering him a look of understanding. Almost tenderly, he took the karambit from him, curved perfectly to make the motion much easier to slice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Tozier,” said Ben. “You wanna give him a few jerks for us to really fuck him up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck off, Ben,” Eddie huffed, putting on nylon gloves so he wouldn’t have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>touch</span>
  </em>
  <span> the disgusting thing in front of him, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>weapon</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mr. Marsh had used to abuse his daughter. He grabbed Al’s legs, pulling his body closer to the end of the chair, his legs held apart with duct tape against the wood, exposing him more so Eddie could get a good grip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever feelings Eddie may have had for other men’s dicks, this one rightfully disgusted him. He fisted the whole package, eliciting a high-pitched groan from Al, and Eddie balled it all upwards so he could angle the knife just under the sack. No hesitation, he flicked his wrist and watched blood spill over the bright blue nylon and the black handle of the blade. Al’s body tried to twist and twitch against the pain, only tearing his skin more as Eddie leanly pulled the knife up and around in a circular motion until he heard a wet </span>
  <em>
    <span>thwap</span>
  </em>
  <span> and his hand pulled away with flesh in his palm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would’ve been easier with a rubberband,” Ben muttered at Eddie while Al kept up his muffled screams. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Open his mouth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately realizing where Eddie was going with this, Ben grinned widely, a strange occurrence for someone not otherwise so enthused by violence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think he’ll bleed out?” Richie said behind them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We won’t let him,” Eddie said, watching Ben rip the duct tape off of Al’s mouth to pull the rag out. “He can live as long as he wants, as long as he lives miserably.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The screams were echoing in the warehouse for a brief moment before Ben held Al’s face in his large hands, keeping it still while Eddie took Al’s own dick and balls and shoved them into his screaming mouth. He sputtered on them while Eddie kept his hand pressing them firmly down, watching spit and eventually bits of vomit dribble down Al’s chin as he choked against his member.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Better just swallow and get it over with, Al,” Eddie growled harshly, grabbing Al’s chin with his other hand to leverage himself better as he kept pushing the mush of flesh down his throat with a sickening </span>
  <em>
    <span>squelch</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “You know, I told him to eat a dick the first day I met him. Never imagined it would be his own, but this is much better.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Al’s throat undulated under Eddie’s hand until he felt him gulp all the mess down, gasping desperately after Eddie finally pulled away so as not to get bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something was tapping his shoulder and he turned to see Richie now handing him a pair of pliers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s this for?” Eddie asked, surprised by the notion of Richie participating in this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He could still hurt someone,” Richie stated, thrusting the pliers in Eddie’s hands. “It might be helpful to render him hideous enough that no one wants to come near him.” Then, as if hearing the question Eddie had posed in his head “I don’t care for kid fuckers.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perfectly understandable, even for the kindest minds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben took it upon himself to crack and break each of Al’s fingers, making it easier for Eddie to get a good grip with little resistance to pry his fingernails off. Despite being gagged again, Al’s screams still seemed just as loud. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold his eyes open,” Eddie said, holding the freshly peeled fingernails in his palm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ahhh</span>
  </em>
  <span>, no,” Richie muttered, covering his eyes. “I can’t do eye stuff.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie rolled his eyes, watching Ben take his thumb and index finger and hold Al’s sickly eyes wide open for Eddie to gently push each finger nail just under his lids, feeling Al tremble underneath where he was kneeling down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Relax, Al, I’m not gonna kill ya,” Eddie shushed Al, taking his carving knife out. “Ben, would you like to make any additions?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Absolutely,” Ben growled. “Richie, keep him still.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Groaning but compliant, Richie walked over, keeping his eyes up so he couldn’t see where Al’s eyes were bleeding and tearing, wrapping his long limbs around to keep him from shaking around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben took the knife, pointing it at Al’s face, moving it around as he contemplated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Neck or face?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stick with the face,” said Eddie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Copy that, boss man.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben took a grip of Al’s hair on the tip of his head, pulling it back over Richie’s shoulder so he could get a good angle to start carving into his forehead. Eddie watched more blood run down the sides of Al’s face and briefly met Richie’s eye. It was hard to decipher if Richie was still sickened or not, judging by the grimace on his face, but maybe he was just annoyed that Ben was getting blood on his shirt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that’s good,” Ben sighed, moving back to reveal the bloody ‘RAPIST’ carved into Al’s forehead, blood dripping into his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could do this all day, Al,” Eddie said in a soothing voice. “But I don’t wanna spoil anything just in case you fuck up again. I want to keep you on your toes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why wait for him to fuck up?” Ben shrugged. “You should just use him like a stress ball.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As long as he keeps a good dose of fear with him at all times,” Eddie agreed, pulling his phone out to call for a medic to fix Al up and take him home. Today wasn’t going to be the day Al died, but Eddie was compartmentalizing a future where he picked that man apart one bone and piece of flesh at a time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here,” Eddie said, texting Ben the info for The Dorsia. “Bev is there in room 408. She’s going to be pissed, but she’s less likely to yell at you. Just tell her I did everything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unless she thinks it’s sexy, then take all the credit,” Richie chimed in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right... ” Ben nodded. “Listen, Eddie, about earlier - ”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t,” Eddie stopped him. “Don’t mention it. Please. Literally don’t ever mention it again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded again, looking down at the address again before taking off, leaving Eddie and Richie alone outside the warehouse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You hanging in there?” Eddie asked, nudging him with his knee as they sat on the sidewalk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was, uh… mind-opening,” Richie mumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How so?” Eddie asked curiously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t… hate it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie could see the slight worry on his face, the look of a man that got into this shit because of a drug problem and never wanted to get into this heavy, violent lifestyle. He took a look around before gently placing his hand on Richie’s knee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Richie, I’d say it’s pretty universal to want to watch a pedophile suffer in the worst way possible. Most people in your shoes wouldn't bat an eye. People like Al Marsh don’t deserve any better.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Richie chuckled darkly. “I suppose so. Not like, you know…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Torturing for the fun of it, yeah,” Eddie finished for him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not fun for you though, is it?” Richie asked. “You don’t… </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> this shit. You just have so much rage built up that you know no other way to let out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sighed, not realizing how tense his muscles had been before he felt Richie’s large hand softly running up and down his back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t suppose you have some alternatives in mind?” he asked, turning to see Richie smirking softly at him. He couldn’t help but smile back, even with the speckles of blood glistening on Richie’s chin. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Drop of Blood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's time to make a commitment.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey stranger. it's been a while. don't mind me stopping by a month later with my iced coffee. </p>
<p>i made an IT side blog so come yell at me over there if you want @ fuckbitchesgetReddie</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Suffice it to say, Beverly was <em> not </em> pleased with the efforts put into torturing her father, even if he was still alive and perfectly unwell. It was hard to tell if she was angrier at her husband or her lover, both of them weighing the various bits of hostility she threw at that (quite literally <em> threw </em>, since she smashed several liquor bottles tossing them both out of the apartment). </p>
<p>As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t kick Eddie out of his bed, because then they’d have to explain why he would <em> let </em>her do such a thing. No one else needed to know their dynamic outside of their small little circle (which was truthfully getting too big for Eddie’s comfort). Besides Ben and Richie, though, people didn’t know Eddie didn’t have Bev wrapped around his finger, but rather they were both stuck in this shitty situation like a form of mutual punishment. </p>
<p>Shortly after the incident with Alan, Ben sat Eddie down for a beer.</p>
<p>“Maybe we should like each other a little more,” he told him, passing a Heineken over to Eddie.</p>
<p>“Are you usually friends with the men whose wives you fuck, Ben?” Eddie replied, sipping his beer despite his general distaste for the shit.</p>
<p>“We both know you don’t really mind, Frankie” Ben shrugged.</p>
<p>“Are you so sure about that? Because I gotta say, you seemed awfully keen to be doing it before you knew about Richie.”</p>
<p>Ben swallowed roughly, pursing his lips. “No, you’re - you’re right. That was shitty.”</p>
<p>“Beverly is the only reason I don’t slit your throat and pull your tongue out through your neck, Ben. Don’t forget that.”</p>
<p>Ben nodded silently, probably feeling a little deserving of that, what with his Catholicism-induced natural guilt. Still, Eddie didn’t pester him too much about it, but it was only because of that reason alone: Beverly. He’d never want her the way a husband should want his wife, but she invoked a kind of love that made him want to set the world on fire if she asked him to. Deep down, Eddie also knew Beverly wanted out of this and this thing with Henry kept popping up into his mind, making him want to do <em> something </em> with it, not just to destroy Henry but maybe as some sort of leverage to get him and Beverly into a different life.</p>
<p>Anything except being a rat; that would be unacceptable. Under no circumstances would Eddie ever do that.</p>
<p>“Ben, have you ever seen anyone leave a Family before?” Eddie asked suddenly.</p>
<p>“Uh, this Family? Or any?”</p>
<p>“Just any, I suppose,” Eddie shrugged casually.</p>
<p>“I mean, Omerta hasn’t really been sacred for a while now,” Ben said, starting to drum his fingers on the table in front of him. “Richie’s rite is soon, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Eddie said, trilling his lips. “I don’t know why Frank still bothers with it. As if pricking a finger and throwing a party stops anyone from running to the feds.”</p>
<p>“Well, didn’t you just answer your own question?”</p>
<p>“I meant - I didn’t mean leaving by ratting members out.”</p>
<p>“How else would you leave?”</p>
<p>“That’s what I’m asking!” Eddie said a little heatedly. </p>
<p>Ben sighed, setting his now empty beer bottle down. “I don’t think there’s another way, Frankie. I think you’re stuck with him.”</p>
<p>Eddie nodded slowly. “Yeah. And I guess Beverly is stuck here with you.”</p>
<p>He felt Ben freeze and his breath hitch beside him, finally catching on to what Eddie was really asking, frowning down at his beer. He didn’t say another word as Eddie finished his own in silence.</p>
<p>On the night Richie got officially initiated, Eddie placed a .38 and a dagger in front of where Richie sat at the Family table, motioning for everyone to stand. Normally, Frank would be here in front of Richie, but tonight he stood to the side and allowed his grandson to do the honors for the first time. </p>
<p>Little did he know it would be the last.</p>
<p>As Eddie pricked Richie’s finger, he gave it a squeeze to let the blood pool around the needle, spilling out to the side and into Eddie’s hand. </p>
<p>“This blood means that we are now one Family,” Eddie said, repeating the words he had heard over and over growing up. “You live by the gun and the knife and you die by the gun and the knife.”</p>
<p>He noticed the side of Richie’s lips twitching and knew some stupid joke was waiting to burst from his mouth, but he kept it shut. He looked up straight into Richie’s eyes, feeling his chest burn as he wiped Richie’s bloody finger on the saint card chosen by Frank.</p>
<p>“We are one until death.”</p>
<p>They wined and dined and no one would be there to take notice of Eddie driving past his own home and straight to Richie’s and soon they were on Richie’s bed for the first time.</p>
<p>Some time had passed since they had gotten together the first time, and Eddie had taken it upon himself to steal moments with Richie when he could, practically begging Richie at this point. Because as much as he wanted it, and he was becoming more comfortable telling Richie that he did, he still quite literally needed to be forced. Or, ‘consensual non-consent’ as Richie called it. </p>
<p>Still, Eddie hadn’t <em> let </em> Richie top him yet, because he could admit that it scared the hell out of him to let go that much, even if they had spent weeks of cramming themselves in the back of Eddie’s car or having Richie pin Eddie down on the couch to finger fuck him. A couple of times, they even fucked, if just to let Eddie get some of his aggressions out and <em> have </em> Richie, and Richie somehow managed to put Eddie in his place even while being railed.</p>
<p>Of course it was after his ritual being honored by Eddie that he would take the opportunity to do it again. Richie had reached up, grabbing Eddie by the back of the hair and holding his hips between his thighs tightly still so they couldn’t move, Eddie’s cock pulsing inside where it was snug between Richie’s legs. </p>
<p>“What the <em> fuck </em> are you doing?” Eddie growled, unable to pry Richie off of him.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I want you to come,” Richie grinned, holding his ritual dagger straight up to Eddie’s neck. He looked so goddamn smug and comfortable where he was laying his head against the pillow. “I’d be more than happy to just jerk myself off like this with you inside me and be done with you.”</p>
<p>“Fuck you,” Eddie hissed, trying to move Richie off of him to no avail; his grip was just too strong. The blade just pressed into his skin, cold and threatening.</p>
<p>“Not with that attitude, you won’t,” Richie smirked, pulling Eddie’s head back to expose his neck to him, moving so he could bite down just low enough to leave a mark Eddie could hide under a shirt. It fucking <em> hurt </em>, more than it usually did, Eddie moving to shove Richie off, knowing he was just fooling himself as his dick practically twitched where it was buried in Richie right now. The way he moved forced the knife into him and broke the skin just above his collar bone and he could feel it dripping down into where Richie was biting, but Richie only licked up Eddie’s neck to wipe the blood off with his tongue.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Eddie sputtered, trying and failing to thrust his hips. “Please, please, I need to come so bad.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, you were getting close,” Richie teased, licking his lips where Eddie saw his own blood had started to dribble down Richie’s chin. “Why don’t you ask me nicely?”</p>
<p>“Please, Richie - ”</p>
<p><em> SMACK </em>.</p>
<p>Richie’s hand was quick as he hit Eddie right across the face before it was back in his hair to hold him still.. A flare of anger rose in Eddie’s chest, huffing out and wanting to hit Richie right the fuck back. </p>
<p>“Don’t fucking hit - ”</p>
<p>
  <em> SMACK. </em>
</p>
<p>“You’re not being very good, kitten,” Richie purred. “Let’s try that again; act like you know who you’re fucking talking to or I’ll give you more than a knick in your neck.”</p>
<p>Eddie groaned, knowing it was pointless. “Puh-please… please let me come, Daddy.”</p>
<p>Richie let out a moan at the name, releasing the pressure of his thighs so Eddie could move his hips again, keeping his hands where they were. “Good boy. Go ahead, come in me baby.”</p>
<p>Eddie started moving again, teetering a little on fear from Richie’s authoritative grip on him now while fucking him, the knife still pressed into Eddie’s already bleeding neck, feeling on display as Richie stared up at him with a wicked grin on his face. Just as he finally started to lose himself into the feeling, Richie smacked his ass hard, encouraging him to pick up the pace.</p>
<p>“You can do a better job than that, kitten,” Richie panted, squeezing his grip in Eddie’s hair and smacking his ass a second time. “You gotta make me come on your cock, sweetheart.”</p>
<p>Eddie was practically whimpering at this point, not used to thinking about the men he usually fucked, not even used to looking at their faces, let alone letting them talk, let alone letting them talk to him <em> like this </em> , and he was trying to be so <em> good </em> for Richie and treat him right and do as he was told, fucking into his prostate and feeling the little subtle hitches of Richie’s breath as he did so, despite how in control Richie made himself out to be. Each time he thrusted, blood from his neck dripped down onto Richie’s torso and it just spurred him on even more.</p>
<p>He hoped it was a good idea to reach up and start stroking Richie, hell, <em> generous </em> even, since he would never do such a thing for anyone else, but Richie smacked him in the face again.</p>
<p>“I said make me come on your cock you fucking slut,” Richie hissed up at him. His expression softened though as he said, “You can do it baby, c’mon. I’m close. Make your Daddy come.”</p>
<p>Eddie whined, straining himself and willing himself not to come before Richie did and sure enough, Richie finally let out a soft groan as he spilled out onto his stomach, white ribbons all over the spots of Eddie’s blood. Eddie knew he was doomed by how turned on he was by such a sight, feeling the pull in his belly and the heat growing there as he was getting close. The hand Richie had with the knife flew up and wrapped around his throat tight and squeezed, the very tip of the blade sticking up dangerously close to Eddie’s eyeline. Eddie automatically closed his eyes, but Richie wasn’t having it.</p>
<p>“<em> Look at me </em>,” he hissed, forcing Eddie to open and stare right back at Richie. “Look right at me, sweetheart.”</p>
<p>So Eddie did, staring at those baby blues with Richie’s hand around his bleeding throat, the tip of the dagger just an inch from his sight, the pressure and pleasure in his head building like static electricity, his chest fluttering at the intimacy of it when the feeling finally burst and he felt himself coming inside Richie. Just like that, Richie released his hand, sending a rush of oxygen to Eddie’s head and another brief wave rolling through him like an afterquake of ecstasy dripping down his spine. </p>
<p>Not sure if it was more from exhaustion or his growing desire to be held, Eddie collapsed down, not even minding that they hadn’t cleaned themselves off and he was just laying in cum and blood, likely still slowly dripping from his neck. One of Richie’s hands, the one that had just been pulling Eddie’s hair practically out of his scalp, was now running through it softly, brushing through it down to his neck.</p>
<p>“You’re getting a lot better at listening,” Richie murmured softly into the top of Eddie’s head.</p>
<p>“Don’t let it get to your head,” Eddie sighed, no real bite behind it. “It doesn’t go beyond these walls.”</p>
<p>His body shifted slightly as Richie sighed underneath him, long and exhausted. “Yeah. I know.” There was a brief pause and Eddie felt Richie chuckle slightly. “I can’t wait to see you fall apart when I finally fuck you.”</p>
<p>Usually, Eddie would feel nervous at the idea, still not used to Richie having control over his body like that even with just his fingers, but for some reason now he just smiled softly into his chest, wiping off a drop of blood that had fallen onto the bed sheets.</p>
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